Justice League Legions: DCAU Series Part 20
by Loki's Son
Summary: The three founders of the Legion of Super Villains have been trapped in the past with no memory of who they really are. But that time has ended. Now the Trio must conquer the present for the Legion of Doom in order to secure the future for the LSV.
1. Chapter 1

20

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Justice League or its various incarnations nor do I own the related DC Comics' properties. All such right sare exclusively owned by Time Warner, DC Comics, and the DCAU is wholly owned by WB Animation**

* * *

Justin Arthur and his wife, Theresa "Tessa" Richardson-Arthur, lived in a second story apartment in Brooklyn, New York. Tessa actually worked in Connecticut at STAR Labs Metropolis. She was a leading researcher in nanotechnology. Her friend, and LexCorp competitor, Claire Connelly, innovated while Tessa just seemed to know how, what she termed "basic nanotech", should work.

In actuality, Tessa was married to Sir Justin, the Shining Knight of King Arthur's Camelot. The Shining Knight had been hurled through the centuries into World War II by Merlin. In that time, he aided the Seven Soldiers of Victory alongside the Freedom Fighters while Hitler and the Dragon King rallied the Axis powers against the Justice Society of America. Sir Justin actually joined the JSA before they were sucked into a seemingly never-ending battle against Surtur in Limbo a full decade after the war ended.

But the JSA had been liberated and Justin had been freed. Finding himself in the modern era, he joined forces with the original Justice League Unlimited. In a second incarnation of the JLU, the Shining Knight had met and fallen in love with Tessa. And they made their home in her apartment.

Tessa herself was home while Sir Justin was out gallivanting with his "new" teammates. Elements of the old JSA had reformed and joined the JLU. With the fragmentation of the Justice League, the JSA reformulated itself as the JSA All Stars and the Shining Knight had been proud to join their ranks.

Tessa herself was preparing to travel to Paris. Claire Connelly was also married. Her husband was named Michael Jon Carter but the world knew him as the super hero called Booster Gold. Booster had travelled to the 21st Century from the 25th to join the JLU. When that entity split apart, he was recruited as a field commander for the newly christened Justice League International.

The JLI was headquartered in Paris so Claire had packed up her research and transferred to LexCorp Paris. Recently, Booster's twin sister, Michelle, had come through time to join him in the JLI. Calling herself Goldstar, Michelle also utilized a technologically advanced suit to use as a crime fighting peacekeeper. And Claire and Michelle instantly hit it off.

Claire didn't have many friends outside of a select circle. She'd been born Christopher Connelly and had began hormone replacement therapy at a young age. Booster had paid for her sexual reassignment surgery and Claire, already indistinguishable from a genetic female, had taken virtually her last step in her gender transition.

Claire didn't mention much about her formative years or being a teen and young twenty something. She'd always known who she was and had determined at a young age to be recognized for who she really was. With the sudden fame and seeming acceptance of transgender celebrities like Laverne Cox and Caitlyn Jenner, Claire thought that public attitudes would have shifted to a kinder stance towards people like her. But she still found more acceptance towards diversity in Paris than she ever had even in New York City.

Tessa was waiting for her place in the teleporter queue to come up. The International Security Agency and the United Nations that chartered them had inherited the Watchtower space station, the Metro Tower in Metropolis, and the global teleporter network the JLU had built. Unlike the JLU, the ISA allowed civilian traffic as long as it related to an agency member.

With the UN chartering multiple agencies that it had absorbed from the United States as well as founded on its own initiative, SHADE, the Department for Extranormal Operations, Spyral, the ISA, and the JLI all fell under that banner. Because Claire was the spouse of an important member of the JLI itself, Tessa had been granted an afternoon window to arrive in the Parisian evening.

Tessa knew the All Stars were denied access to the network as well as the reconstituted JLU itself. No one knew if Superman and the founding Justice League members still with the JLU ever had regrets over handing over all that they had. Tessa knew STAR Labs had constructed a rival network for ARGUS and their Justice League of America.

Tessa fidgeted while she waited. Lately she hated idleness. When she was alone or lost in thought it was like she would see ghostly images of someone else's life. Yet the people and the places in them were intimately familiar to her despite they're being out of a science fiction movie.

It was almost as if she teetered on the edge of discovering a hidden past she'd lived through and lost somehow. It always happened at inopportune moments and made her feel like she was living in a primitive age she couldn't wait to escape from. And it had all begun when Goldilocks kidnapped Sir Justin to warn him about Tessa having such a past.

During the incident, Tessa had acquired an incredible insight into Goldilocks' mind. It was so insightful it led them to her sister's apartment in Paris. There Godiva intervened with the Justice League and persuaded them to defend Goldilocks from the Brotherhood of Evil and also convinced the Brain to let her sister go.

Neither Sir Justin nor Tessa had heard another word from Goldilocks until the JSA All Stars intervened in a Justice League Dark operation in Romania. The JLD had intervened in a vampire war that ultimately resulted in the destruction of all the vampires except for Cain, the sire of them all.

It turned that Goldilocks had joined with the JLD and fought beside them against the vampires, Felix Faust, Soul Thief, the Injustice Society, and Deathstroke's Titans. Sir Justin hadn't spoken a word of it, but it was like Tessa could read his thoughts. The psychotic little bitch had somehow swayed him that her dire warnings concerning Tessa might actually be true. So he was hovering all around her every day.

To make matters more aggravating, Tessa knew Goldilocks was nearby watching even when her husband wasn't smothering her. But she couldn't pinpoint the young aristocrat's location or else she would have confronted Goldilocks. She wanted the satisfaction of telling Goldilocks that the British nobility would be abolished before the century was out. And Tessa also knew Goldilocks would recognize the truth of what Tessa told her. Just as Tessa knew it was an obscure fact she'd learned in school as a child reading about Earth's history.

But how could a "fact" regarding a future event be history?

Tessa desperately hoped she could forget about all of this insanity and imponderability while she was with Claire and Goldstar. And then, like a chiming death knell, the door bell rang. Even before Tessa reached the door, she knew two men waited outside. And they were just as nervous as she was despite their ongoing efforts to disguise that simple fact.

Tessa had the realization she knew them both. And they knew her. Yet when she actually opened the door she was faced with two strangers.

"Can I help you?" she asked, wondering if she'd hidden the quaver in her voice well enough.

The man with white hair, despite his being in his early thirties, frowned, "Don't you recognize us?"

Now Tessa wore a puzzled frown, "Should I?"

"Maybe not," the dark haired one with the mustache and goatee advised his companion, "Are you Theresa Richardson?"

"Of course," Tessa wasn't certain why she was answering, "Only everyone calls me 'Tessa' and I've also added my married name of 'Arthur' to my surname."

Every fiber of her being screamed out that she should recognize this pair as they digested that information. The white haired man seemed the bolder of the two, "And your husband is the famous Shining Knight and you work at STAR Labs?"

"Yes, to both and if you already have all the answers why are you asking the questions?" Tessa frowned, "Who are you two anyway?"

"You tell us," the dark haired one countered.

"Look, I have an appointment to get to in a few minutes and you're drawing unwanted attention," Tessa advised them.

They glanced down the hallway but didn't see anyone. But the two men took her at her word. Just as it seemed they had done countless times before.

"Until later then," the white haired one spoke for them both again, "Enjoy your afternoon."

Tessa could practically sense the men's exit out of the front lobby and then she could feel the burning weight of Goldilocks' stare upon their backs. She wished them all well. Especially the men. They could all join in a ménage a trios together and she knew both men were renowned for how hard they used their sexual partners, male and female alike. The combined "mercies" of the two would likely kill the impudent Goldilocks.

But why did she sense Goldilocks had already walked that path? And how could Tessa even begin to know any of this?

* * *

Goldilocks was perched upon a neighboring rooftop. Her remote cameras had detected Lightning Lord and Cosmic King's arrival at the Arthur's apartment building and Goldilocks had ventured out to try and see directly what kind of exchange would happen. But she was ashamed at the cold clench her stomach had engaged in upon seeing Mekt Ranzz and Laevar Bolto again.

Once upon a time, she'd been their favorite sexual plaything to be passed about and shared at the same time. Just as her uncle had done to her when she was a preadolescent. Only this time she'd volunteered in a negotiated surrender that saved her sister, Dorcas' life. The experience had almost killed Goldilocks during several trysts but she'd had the last say in the matter and earned the undying wrath of Saturn Queen in the process. Now she had been given a chance to prevent all of that horror from ever happening to her, Godiva, or the entire world.

Then Goldilocks saw the blue teleporter flash inside of the Arthur home. Goldilocks stifled a vile curse and headed for the street. She'd decided to break into Sir Justin and Tessa's home in an effort to discover where Tessa had flashed off to. Having Tessa reunited with Lightning Lord and Cosmic King could have set off the very chain of events Goldilocks had been sent to alter. So she had to know where Tessa was and what was going on with her. And find out why the Shining Knight had abandoned his post guarding his wife.

* * *

Mekt Ranzz and Laevar Bolto stopped nearby and used a transceiver disguised as a smart phone to contact Brainiac and the Legion of Doom. Both men actually used ear piece modules to carry on the actual conversing. Mekt opened the dialogue.

"Lightning Lord to Brainiac," Mekt began, "We have made first contact."

 _"And how did it go?"_ the Legion's AI inquired.

"Not as well as planned," Lightning Lord admitted, "The conditioning runs even deeper than we'd feared. She plainly recognized Cosmic King and I as elements of her past but she seemed disjointed as to what that past actually was. As such Eve Aries still remains buried under the Tessa Richardson template imposed upon her. She's gone away for a time but we'll remain in the area and reinitiate contact upon her return. We may have to opt for a more confrontational approach should the spouse be present at that time."

 _"Acknowledged,"_ Brainiac replied, _"Can the Legion assist you in any fashion?"_

"Eve, even as Tessa, warned us of a threat in the area," Cosmic King reported, "However, we would prefer not to divert our attention into ferreting out this third party and dealing with him, her, or them."

 _"I shall alert both Master Luthor and Grodd. I am certain they shall discreetly dispatch forces into that area to scour out whatever nemesis is lurking nearby,"_ Brainiac promised.

"Thank you," Lightning Lord sounded more relaxed now, "And remember Brainiac, our agreement with you stands as well as our agreements with Luthor and Grodd."

 _"I have never doubted it,"_ Brainiac assured them both.

* * *

"I love Paris at night, no matter what century it is," Goldstar enthused as the women strolled along the banks of the Seine.

"I'm beginning to," Claire agreed, "Trans women aren't nearly as stigmatized here. The cosmopolitan _laissez faire_ of living your own life permeates the culture."

"But you have Booster and he's always loved you no matter what state your transition was in," Tessa cheered her up.

"Yeah," Claire was slightly wistful now, "I only topped Booster a couple of times but sometimes I almost miss being able to."

"Claire, even in my time women had strap ons," Goldstar chided her.

"It's not about the means it's about the option," Claire clarified.

"You're hopeless," Goldstar sighed.

Claire noticed that Tessa was rather restrained this evening, "Something bothering you?"

"I'm not sure," Tessa confessed, "Have you ever had an identity crisis?"

"Hello?" Claire was slightly sarcastic, "Transgender female here."

"This isn't about gender or even sexuality," Tessa tried to explain; "This is about my core being. Am I really who I think I am or was I a someone else before becoming Tessa?"

"Like a past life?" Goldstar asked.

"Maybe," Tessa allowed, "Look, I have memories and visions of times and places I know I've been to and yet I haven't."

"How can you know you actually haven't?" Claire wondered.

"Because they're all in the future," Tessa blurted, "Look, it's almost like in the future I was someone else I'm supposed to be because I was already them. Get it?"

She saw the blank looks staring back at her and she grumbled, "I guess not."

"Look, you could be discussing repressed memories and time travel isn't unheard of. Otherwise Michael and I wouldn't be here much less your own husband," Goldstar pointed out, "Let's just say you really are from the future. You could easily have been someone else then and been turned into someone to be here and now."

"But I have a family and four brothers," Tessa argued, "Did they move everyone here?"

"But things are much more elastic in my time," Goldstar pointed out, "We've been colonizing the solar system now for two generations and people across the system are manifesting pretty uniform meta-human abilities based on planet of birth."

"On Titan, there's a race of telepaths developing," Tessa shared, "In my time, every man, woman, and child from Titan is a telepath."

"How could you know that?" Goldstar asked, "Unless you really are from the future."

Claire remembered Booster's concerns over Tessa seeming to know what Goldilocks had been thinking. And she began to wonder if Tessa really did have a hidden previous life.

"Of course I did," Tessa blurted.

"Did what?" Goldstar asked.

"Claire was wondering if I'd had a life before meeting her and of course I did," Tessa was a little baffled by their confusion.

"I didn't say anything, Tessa," Claire told her, "I only thought that question."

"Of course you said it," Tessa insisted, "I heard you."

Goldstar exchanged a wary look with Claire. Tessa heaved a weary sigh, "I agree. I should be going."

She stepped away and requested a teleport back home to Brooklyn. Claire turned to Goldstar, "Can people from Titan really read minds?"

"Most of the second generation colonists can," Goldstar explained, "And they can easily do what Tessa is displaying. But remember, she said 'my time' indicating she's from even further into the future than I am."

"We need to talk to Booster," Claire decided.

"I agree," Goldstar stated, "He's at the Dome."

* * *

The Shining Knight had ridden Winged Victory as the Pegasus-like horse flew him from upstate New York to Manhattan and Central Park. The NYPD boarded Winged Victory amongst their own stables and the enchanted steed was well cared for there.

Sir Justin used the locker rooms provided to strip out of his chainmail and helm as well as removed his haberd and sword belt. These he placed in a previously stored duffel and dressed in modern clothing so he could exit Central Park and catch a cab to return home in.

As he mounted the stairs to the second story, Sir Justin recalled Tessa's plans to be out all afternoon. Yet he found the front door unlocked. As the door swung open he also recalled that his wife always kept the door locked even when she was in residence.

He sat his bag down and withdrew his scabbard before drawing his broadsword from it. He rushed into the center of the apartment only to find tendrils of golden hair wrapping around his ankles and tugging his feet out from beneath him. Then he was lifted and suspended in the air.

A very irritated Goldilocks turned him so she could confront him, "Just what the hell are you doing?"

"I dwell there, thief!" Sir Justin angrily retorted, "Why hast thou invaded mine home?"

"Because you failed to guard Tessa and she met up with the two men I warned you about. They left alone but Tessa teleported out of here afterwards and I have no idea of how that meeting affected her," Goldilocks was beyond exasperation, "This is what happened before and it seems to be an inescapable conclusion."

"How cans't thou speak thusly?" Sir Justin inquired, "And woulds't thou puttest me down?"

"Sorry," Goldilocks said meekly as she lowered Justin down and unencumbered his ankles.

"Thou speakest of the future as though thou hast seen it. Yet the third eye is not amongst thy gifts. How came thee to this knowledge?" Sir Justin asked.

"I know I was a little nebulous in Romania but I'm from your future, "Goldilocks heaved a heavy sigh, "My present self is hiding out in plain sight in London. The now me will sit out these events until it's far too late to do anything but save Dorcas' life. And a thousand years of history will be altered. Since I was one of the sole surviving meta-humans on Earth and had an axe to grind with Lightning Lord and Cosmic King, Dr. Fate sent me back here to alter the events just enough to prevent that future outcome from repeating itself. And with today's cock up I can't see that happening anymore."

Sir Justin began to see how frayed Goldilocks' nerves really were. And she was unstable to begin with. Mounting this task upon her shoulders seemed to be an act of unspeakable cruelty.

"Milady, I do apologize," Sir Justin said tenderly.

"You believe me?" Goldilocks couldn't quite grasp that yet, "You _finally_ believe me?"

"Aye, I admit I hast misjudged thee in the past," Sir Justin acknowledged, "Thy earliest actions dids't not sit well with me. But thou hast truly changed. I knowest not why thou hast undertaken this great and perilous quest but thou hast and I pledge my blade to thy aid and defense."

"Okay?" Goldilocks was having her own hearing issues now.

"If fair Tessa is in peril now, we shoulds't take her to my allies amongst the All Stars," Sir Justin suggested.

"No," Goldilocks groaned, "You still don't get it. Tessa isn't _in_ danger. She _is_ the danger."

"How can thou sayest that?" Sir Justin was baffled, "She is but a mortal woman."

"She is anything but," Goldilocks insisted, "She is one of the single greatest threats any century as ever seen."

A blue teleport flash brought Tessa home. And she found her husband standing in their living room having a chat with Goldilocks, "What the hell? What is she doing here and why haven't you done anything about it yet?"

"I cans't explain," Sir Justin promised.

"I'd like to hear that and more. Why are you thinking thoughts about her you've only had for me before now?" Tessa snapped at him.

"Oh God, it's begun," Goldilocks lamented.

Sir Justin watched her freeze in terror as Lightning Lord and Cosmic King came through the open door, "Are we interrupting. Never mind us. Carry on."

"What art thou here for strangers?" Sir Justin asked.

"Your wife," Cosmic King sneered.

"Nay varlet. Thou shalt taste my steel first!" Sir Justin pledged.

"Really?" Lightning Lord was incredulous, "This is who you chose to marry?"

Tessa shrugged, "Do what you want with him."

Lightning Lord Stretched out his hand and electricity flowed from his fingertips into the Shining Knights highly conductive sword. Being grounded, the electricity threatened to boil Sir Justin's internal organs. But Goldilocks came to and smashed Lightning Lord's head into the wall with her hair.

She wheeled on Cosmic King, "I killed you bastards once before and I'll do it again if need be."

He transmuted the chemical composition of the nitrogen around her head into chlorine. It seared her lungs and she collapsed and began spitting up blood. Lightning Lord had recovered and was prepared to strike down Goldilocks.

"Never mind her, she's dead already and just hasn't realized it yet," Cosmic King promised, "Let's go. _All_ three of us."

Tessa impassively stared ta Sir Justin before turning to join the duo, "I'm coming with you."

* * *

They led her outside where a limousine awaited them. Tessa remained silent as the limo drove back to Manhattan and delivered them to a Park Avenue address. There they proceeded to the penthouse whereupon arrival, Lighting Lord and Cosmic King sat down in the finely furnished living room. Tessa occupied the couch.

"Let's cut the bullshit," Lightning Lord urged, "Just read my mind."

"I don't know how," Tessa protested.

"Just relax and let go of the barriers you've erected around yourself. You don't need them with us," Cosmic King informed her.

Tessa realized she actually did want to read their minds in sequence. As she relaxed she slipped into their memories. She saw herself, but not quite herself, in that far flung future. The three of them chafed to watch the rise of a Legion of Super Heroes as they became champions of the United Planets in the 31st Century.

So Tessa, no, _Eve Aries_ found and recruited Mekt Ranzz and Laevar Bolto and the trio became Saturn Queen, Lightning Lord, and Cosmic King. And they founded a competing Legion of Super Villains and ran it as a ruling trifecta.

Tessa actually was Eve Aries and she was known and feared throughout the galaxy as Saturn Queen. Saturn Queen had eventually been caught and the combined might of every telepath on Titan had forged the identity of Theresa Richardson upon Eve and then they'd used her own powers of super hypnosis to do the same to Lightning Lord and Cosmic King. And then the LSH transported them a thousand years in the past and left them there.

Eve's actual family lived on Titan. Imra Ardeen, Saturn Girl, had inserted the notion that Eve was both daughter and sister into the minds of the Richardson family. And at that realization, Tessa died an ignoble death and Eve was made whole once again.

"Mekt! Laever! It's really me! I'm freed from that mental prison!" Saturn Queen happily declared.

"And we're happy that you are," Lightning Lord confessed.

"Now we can complete our deal with the Legion for helping us find you," Cosmic King told her.

"There's a Legion of Super Villains in this century?" Saturn Queen couldn't believe it.

"You still have your memories from being Tessa," Lightning Lord reminded her, "Recall the Legion of Doom."

"That's right!" Saturn Queen's mind instantly reintegrated all of those memories under her original personality.

"We based our Legion of Super Villains after the legends of the Legion of Doom even as the Legion of Super Heroes did the same after the Justice League," Cosmic King recalled.

"What was Luthor's price for his help?" Saturn Queen wondered.

"We give him the present and in doing so we secure our future," Lightning Lord explained.

"You have a plan then?" Saturn Queen asked.

"We have the beginning of one," Cosmic King told her, "But everything depends upon you."

She wore a cruel and hungry smile, "Tell me everything."

* * *

Roxy picked up a 911 call summoning paramedics to Sir Justin and Tessa's apartment. The ambulance arrived and they in turn requested a police presence. NYPD detectives and Crime Scene Investigators were working the apartment to determine the nature and cause of the attack.

Dr. Pieter Cross, known to the word as Dr. Mid-Nite, requested a patient transfer and Sir Justin was moved to the K-Star Ranch and its private medical staff. Since the ranch served as the All Stars' headquarters and Roxy's home, Dr. Mid-Nite already lived on the premises along with most of the All Stars.

Most of the team was prepping to sojourn into the Subtle Realms to mount a rescue mission searching for the lost Mary Marvel. A handful of team members were staying behind to deal with local crises. Wildcat and Dr. Mid-Nite were the senior team members remaining behind. King Chimera, Cyclone, Jakeem Thunder, Vibe, Lightning, and Hawk and Dove were the rest of the team.

Sir Justin came awake with a start, "Unhand her, base villains!"

"Easy, you're among friends," Dr. Mid-Nite assured him. He had doffed his mask for a special pair of dark glasses.

"Where is Tessa?" Sir Justin asked desperately, "And where is fair Goldilocks?"

"Goldilocks?" the once again youthful Ted Grant repeated, "Are ya sayin' that loon kidnapped Tessa?"

"Nay, nay friend Wildcat," Sir Justin reassured him, "The maid Goldilocks fought at my side to defend Tessa from her true abductors. Goldilocks dids't come to warn me about Tessa's peril. I had doubted her word but it is plain that she ever held me in high regard."

Wildcat and Dr. Mid-Nite exchanged a skeptical glance. Wildcat asked the next question, "Tell us, what exactly did Goldilocks…warn…you about?"

"She did say that two scoundrels would abduct mine Tessa and if they succeeded in doing so, a pox and a thousand year blight would befall all humanity," Sir Justin summarized.

"Sounds like the kid is loonier than usual," Wildcat dismissed the notion.

"Nay!" Sir Justin nearly lunged out of his bed, "Hear me, one of the men that came for Tessa, lightning erupted from his hands and lanced into my blade. He is the foul miscreant that struck the blow that felled me. I knowest not what his companion is capable of nor do I know what fate befell Goldilocks after I was struck down."

"I'm tellin' ya, she skipped off with the two gents that took yer lady," Wildcat insisted.

"Roxy intercepted the female caller's conversation with the 911 dispatcher. The voice is pretty ragged and totally unidentifiable according to our voice print records," Dr. Mid-Nite told them both, "But no one was found with you, Sir Justin. So it's conceivable the caller was a wounded Goldilocks but it is equally feasible she was working with the kidnappers all along."

"If thou coulds't seen and heard her in Romania and then again this fair afternoon, you woulds't not doubt my word," Sir Justin insisted.

"Doc, could I have a word with ya outside?" Wildcat asked.

Dr. Mid-Nite summoned the medical staff to begin fully testing whatever damage had been inflicted upon the Shining Knight. He and Wildcat exited the med wing, "You're worried about his apparent fixation with Goldilocks."

"It sounds like the kid is practically gaga over her," Wildcat worried.

"It wouldn't be the first time a man has reciprocated a women's fixation," Dr. Mid-Nite admitted, "But his loyalty to, and concern for, Tessa appears to be unwavering. I'm more concerned with how he considers Tessa's capture to be a cosmic importance. That element seems more akin to a Goldilocks' styled and fueled delusion rather than just his sudden reverence for a former foe."

"He has told us Goldilocks is workin' wit the Justice League Dark now," Wildcat admitted, "So while I personally don't trust those mystic bozos at least it seems the dame is tryin' ta reform. But still, how can we not assume she arranged fer Tessa's capture in the first fraggin' place?"

"We can't. At least not in certain terms," Dr. Mid-Nite conceded, "Not without questioning Goldilocks herself."

"Then we'd best be getting' her here straightaway and I think I know just how ta do it," Wildcat grinned.

And then he tracked down Jakeem Thunder and had the teen dispatch the Thunderbolt to fetch Goldilocks. Only no one knew yet that the Thunderbolt wasn't going to have an easy time of it.

* * *

The founders of the 31st Century Legion of Super Villains were garbed in semi-traditional uniforms and present at the Hall of Doom. The massive headquarters was located in the Florida Everglades but it holographic camouflage kept it hidden from most eyes. Brainiac served as its AI and central computer network. The entire complex was designed by Luthor with Grodd supplying a Gorilla City cloaking device.

Most of the Legionnaires were off pursuing private ventures but they could be recalled at a moment's notice such as when Luthor had dispatched a team to deal with the hidden observer monitoring Saturn Queen's apartment while she was still under the delusion she was Tessa Richardson.

The Female Furies had returned to Apokolips. Supreme was once again dying of lead poisoning and Lashina had returned to her Master to beg for her lover's life. The Rogues were back in Central City planning heists across Central and Keystone Cities. And plotting their response to the inevitable intervention by the Flash and possibly Jay Garrick, the original Flash.

The Brotherhood of Evil was concentrating their efforts on ridding themselves of a traditional foe. The enmity earned by the Teen Titans had been inherited from the fallen Doom Patrol. Only these Teen Titans were an entirely new team the Brotherhood had never faced before. And Red Hood was a leader the type of which Robin, before becoming Nightwing, and Protector had never been before.

The Crime Syndicate was the only subdivision of the Legion still present. Yet Saturn Queen sensed their loyalty truly lay with a man they called "the Other". Yet in their mind's eye he was revealed too be a rather dapper and natty senior citizen. Yet the Other had access to a power that would eventually shift the balance of Earth Prime. Saturn Queen pondered giving them new loyalties.

"Ah, to think your third person was under our noses all along," Luthor mused, "So, I take it you found some success at least."

"Cosmic King and I were correct in assuming we could break Saturn Queen's conditioning even as ours had been broken," Lightning Lord informed him boasted as Grodd watched on, "Now our plan can begin."

"I've seen what the two of you can do yet all I've heard are unsubstantiated claims regarding what she can do," Luthor retorted, "It may all be hokum and superstition for all I know."

"So, you require a test of my abilities?" Saturn Queen asked.

"I do," Luthor concurred.

"Very well," Saturn Queen tipped her head slightly. Clock King entered the room at that point.

"What is it, Clock King?" Luthor impatiently demanded.

Clock King came to stand beside Saturn Queen and pulled a gun out of his suit jacket. He took aim at Luthor but suddenly paused, "For my Queen!"

"Enough!" Luthor shouted, "I understand now."

"Do you?" Saturn Queen sounded amused.

Clock King approached Luthor and handed him the pistol. Luthor inexplicably held the gun to his own head and began to depress the trigger, "Oh, you are good."

Saturn Queen's hold on Luthor simply evaporated, "That was just a taste of my telepathy. My powers of hypnosis are even stronger."

"Why did I try to kill Luthor?" Clock asked as though coming out of a dream.

"You were aware of your actions?" Luthor asked.

"Yes, but everything just seemed so…reasonable," Clock King admitted.

"Don't let trifles bother you," Saturn Queen said dismissively.

"All right," Clock King brightened.

"You may go now. Return to your duties," Saturn Queen instructed.

Clock King exited whistling a merry tune. Luthor was amazed, "Are there any limitations to your powers?"

"I can own any mind whose will isn't greater than mine," Saturn Queen boasted, "And I've only encountered one and she is from my home moon of Titan."

"There are a few resident Green Lanterns who would offer a challenge to that claim," Luthor warned her.

"The Lantern Corps are all but extinct in our time," Cosmic King informed him.

"Once I've mesmerized someone, they will do anything to please me regardless of moral compunction or personal reservations," Saturn Queen told Luthor, "Which is why our chosen instruments are perfect for our plans."

"So, you still want to fulfill our little bargain rather than just seize control of the Legion of Doom," Luthor realized.

"The easiest way to secure our future is to change the past," Lightning Lord explained again, "We have a Legion waiting for us. Besides, you'll need your own while you serve in this era as Darkseid's Satrap over Earth. We know what the future holds for Darkseid in his millennial long quest to conquer the multiverse. In exchange for securing Earth at this point in history, we will assume the satrapy in a thousand years from now and assist Darkseid in overcoming his seemingly insurmountable foes. And then he will have a multiverse to rule and we'll have the Prime Universe to play with."

"Darkseid has heard your proposal and agrees to your terms," Luthor relayed to them, "But he also doesn't reward failure."

"Then I guess we'll be forced to succeed," Cosmic King said sardonically.

"And we can do business with you and Lord Darkseid," Lightning Lord agreed, "So we'll need you to assemble a strike team to distract the Justice League."

"Which one?" an amused Luthor wondered.

"Let's start with the Justice League Unlimited, shall we?" Saturn Queen suggested, "We can move on from there."

"Excellent," Luthor chuckled malevolently.

* * *

"Goldilocks? Can you hear me?" a vaguely distant but obviously concerned voice swam through Goldilocks' consciousness.

"Easy, Charli. She can hear you. She just needs to rest. Having a new set of lungs grown inside of you can tax anyone. She needs peace and quiet for now," an older, unknown woman's voice spoke up.

"No, she doesn't," a harsher voice insisted, "She needs to explain her failure."

That voice was all too familiar and anger drove Goldilocks up from the mists of slumber. But there was another driving concern as well, "Where is Sir Justin?"

"Goldilocks!" the teenaged Misfit practically smothered the British woman who was just barely out of her teens as well.

"Charli," Inza Nelson pulled Misfit off of Goldilocks.

"I'm all right," Goldilocks reassured Misfit, "Really Charli, I just need a minute to breathe."

And then she realized her throat and lungs weren't in agony any longer. She touched her chest and throat, "How…?"

"The amulet of the ankh we gave you monitored your life force," Inza explained, "When you were dying, it transmitted a summons to us in Fate's Tower. Dr. Fate transported my husband Kent and I with him to the Arthur apartment after you successfully summoned paramedics to help the Shining Knight. Fate whisked you away to here, in the House of Mystery, and healed your throat and grew you a new pair of lungs. Fate left but Kent and I, with young Charli here, have monitored you ever since."

"And you are?" Goldilocks was desperately trying not to be overly confused.

"Inza," she answered with a smile.

"You two can go now," Madame Xanadu said in that same harsh tone.

"No, I think we'd better stay," Inza was inflexible on that point.

"How is Sir Justin?" Goldilocks was slightly desperate to know, "Lightning Lord electrocuted him."

"He is fine and fully recovering," Madame Xanadu said from a table in the room, where she sat with her infernal tarot cards, "The JSA All Stars retrieved him and transferred him to the K-Star Ranch. Now, let's discuss your failure."

"Sir Justin left in the morning to be with the All Stars. Finding Tessa alone, I moved to the opposite rooftop to find Lightning Lord and Cosmic King were already with her," Goldilocks recounted the details, "They left and she teleported to an unknown destination. I entered the apartment at that time to discover where she'd gone. Sir Justin returned while I was snooping and while we discussed the scenario, Tessa returned. Only…she wasn't quite the Tessa anyone knew anymore."

Goldilocks squared her shoulders at that point, "Lightning Lord and Cosmic King returned and attacked Sir Justin. I retaliated and Cosmic King used his transmutation powers to strike me down. They left with Tessa and I knew I only had seconds to get help to Sir Justin before I'd probably die."

"The figment you knew as Tessa has evaporated like the specter she was. Eve Aries has had her mind returned to her and she is Saturn Queen once more," Madame Xanadu reported, "The cards foretell doom upon us all. A Legion of Doom."

"Bollocks!" Goldilocks snarled, "These wankers aren't invincible and they sure as hell aren't infallible. I know what happens next. We need to gather forces to stop them."

"And what do you suggest then?" Madame Xanadu asked without a trace of irony or sarcasm.

"They'll go after the Justice League Unlimited first," Goldilocks remembered, "They're probably already doing their damage right now. Their secondary objective is the Justice League International. With the JLU and JLI under Saturn Queen's control, they'll steamroll over the Teen Titans, the Great Ten, and the Freedom Fighters. That will leave them against the Justice League of America, the JSA All Stars, the UN agencies, ARGUS, and us. The JLA, All Stars, and our JLD held out the longest against the Legion where I came from but in the end we were all crushed. And I sold myself into sexual slavery to Lightning Lord and Cosmic King to save my sister from them."

Madame Xanadu winced at the memory of the depravations Goldilocks had described being subjected too by those two monsters. For Goldilocks it had been a return to the horrors subjected to her by her uncle. But Goldilocks had eventually killed both men and become the most sought after fugitive on Earth.

"Eventually the Legions worked together to crush all resistance," Goldilocks warned Xanadu, "And I do mean 'Legions' plural. Our first task is to assemble a fighting force but our next step will have to be to prevent Lightning Lord, Saturn Queen, and Cosmic King from assembling their own Legion of Super Villains."

"And there is one massive variable in all of these plans," Goldilocks issued another warning, "Whichever side Deathstroke and his Titans choose could shape history for the next thousand years."

"Rest a while longer," Madame Xanadu rose from her table and gathered her cards, "I will summon our Justice League Dark and prepare them for what must be done. But I have a special task in mind for you so you must gird yourself and be ready for it."

"I'll be back in a short while," Inza excused herself.

"I'll make sure she stays out of trouble," Misfit promised.

"We know you will, Charli," Madame Xanadu gave her a warm smile before exiting followed by Inza.

Misfit wore a big grin as she turned to face Goldilocks again, "So, the Shining Knight again, huh? Spill."

"There's nothing to discuss," Goldilocks protested.

"Yeah, that's what you said in Romania and I was there. There was tons to talk about," Misfit argued.

"He's married!" Goldilocks lamented.

"His wife just evaporated," Misfit reminded her, "According to Madame Xanadu, she doesn't exist and never really did in the first place. I saw how he was looking at you in Romania. You're in, baby."

"It's not that simple, Charli. People need to grieve and move on," Goldilocks countered.

"So console him and help him grieve and then move on with him," Misfit shrugged.

"I tried scheming and planning and forcing things," Goldilocks sighed, "I joined the JLD to prove myself worth to Sir Justin. And if I do, then I won't have to resort to desperate measures. He'll choose me of his own accord."

"Wow!" Misfit breathed, "Damn, that's smarter then what I would've tried."

"It's smarter only because it's the only way it really works," Goldilocks shared, "There will be no more lies between Sir Justin and I. The truth shall either save me or condemn me but either way it will be real."

"Damn skippy!" Misfit enthused, "Sir Justin is gonna be yours. Let me tell ya."

"One can only hope," Goldilocks sighed.

* * *

Back at the K-Star Ranch, Wildcat and Dr. Mid-Nite's teammates said their goodbyes to the reserve force remaining on Earth. As they prepared to shift through dimensional folds into the Subtle Realms, Captain Marvel fretted over the fate of his sister Mary. Mary had been gone, alone in a hostile dimension, for a week now. But it had taken that long for Anna Fortune to prepare this spell.

Stargirl and Captain Marvel Jr. kept a lid on Billy Batson's worst fears. Atom Smasher supported Anna in any way he could while she placed the elements necessary for the spell around a triangular shape that surrounded the All Stars selected for the mission. The point of the exercise was to create an anchor point that would serve two functions. The first being to tether the All Stars to the Prime Universe so they could easily return. And the second was to provide a channel for Sentinel's Green Flame powered ring to continue to receive its source of nearly limitless power.

While Sentinel and Jay Garrick spoke briefly with Wildcat, the rest of the team was restless. Jesse Quick and her husband, Hourman, both wondered how their super hero parents would have responded to a crisis like this one. Metamorpho chatted up Aztek and wiled away the minutes. Commander Steel and Judomaster softly whispered to one another, whether of combat strategies or endearments, no one could guess.

Sand and Mr. Terrific stood by until Anna summoned them. Infusing three of Mr. Terrific's T-Sphere's, Anna shifted the modularity from being matter-energy transmitters to being an Interdimensional portal and beacon. Mr. Terrific had six other T-Spheres with him. Three more would be similarly transformed once they shifted across to the Subtle Realms and the other three would serve as teleportation relays across the world they would encounter.

"Everyone, gather around!" Mr. Terrific announced. As the All Stars Chairperson, he was in nominal command. Wildcat stepped out of the zone and Mr. Terrific triggered the adjusted T-Spheres. Vanishing in a flash of light, Wildcat was left all alone.

"Good luck, buddies," he fervently wished.

Examining the desolate hellscape they'd teleported to, Sand was the first to comment, "Wonderful. As always, this place is a horrific nightmare. Just wait until the locals find us. Then the real fun will begin."

No one doubted him.


	2. Chapter 2

20

With the breakup of the Justice League Unlimited after their severing ties and affiliations with the United Nations, the reconstituted JLU had migrated to the one base off of the UN's records. Situated inside a massive cave complex outside of Metropolis, Batman had installed systems rivaling the Hall of Justice inside of the caves. And he had structurally reinforced the entire network.

The outer and inner security measures were nonlethal but decidedly vigorous enough to deter all but a meta-human army. Or a Lantern Corps or a division of New Gods. But suffice it to say, it was secure enough for J'onn Jonzz the Martian Manhunter and Captain Atom to live and work there. Recently the Atom had joined them as his divorce began to get ugly. His soon to be ex-wife, Jean, was a lawyer so she'd known exactly who to hire to insure she got what she wanted.

J'onn currently occupied the ward room and he floated in his native shape as he meditated. Captain Atom was taking a turn at the monitoring stations observing the police and emergency service bands in order to alert the rest of the JLU to a brewing crisis they should intervene in. J'onn's mind drifted over hundreds of topics while Captain Atom tried not to get bored.

The JLU had not dissolved but it had fragmented upon its release from UN service. The Global Guardians, the UN's protectors before being supplanted by the JLU, followed Max Lord's advice and rebranded themselves the Justice League International upon reentering the United Nations' service. How far Max's influence swayed Dr. Mist and the JLI as a whole remained to be seen.

Several prominent sorcerers, mystics, and mages had formed a loose coalition dubbed the Justice League Dark. Most of the JLU doubted the veracity and ultimate aims of the JLD but it counted such members as Zatanna and Dr. Fate amongst its members. But while the JLD appeared to serve the Lords of Order, those same Lords had nebulous intentions towards the inhabitants of Earth and their agents frequently seemed to serve their own ends.

The United States government had created a fourth and final Justice League. Dubbed the Justice League of America, this league was actively supported and ultimately controlled by ARGUS. ARGUS was a branch of the US Defense Department and it also carried full law enforcement authority in both the civilian and military sectors.

The former JLU and CADMUS administrator, Amanda Waller, had been promoted to overseeing ARGUS as its director. Sue Dibney, wife of the Elongated Man and former JLU Chief of Operations, had also defected to the JLA administration. Perhaps most telling of all was the mere fact that the JLA's field commander was one Colonel Steve Trevor.

Trevor was the namesake grandson of OSS Agent Steve Trevor whom Wonder Woman had met in World War II and had been the first to woo the Amazonian princess' heart. His grandson had been career military before joining ARGUS to serve in Team 7. Black Canary, who had been a member of that unit alongside Deathstroke among others, had rarely mentioned the team's activities. And now Dinah Lance was reunited with Trevor in the JLA.

The former Justice Society of America members who'd joined the JLU had gone their own separate way. Forming a group loosely called the JSA All Stars, the veteran JSA Founders continued to instruct their younger compatriots in the art of being guardians of the public trust. But like the JLU, they served no master other than their consciences. And in an age where governments controlled teams of costumed adventurers, that freedom was liable to evaporate at either the hands of the JLI or the JLA.

The Teen Titans, and J'onn's fellow Martian M'gann M'orzz, also faced that eventual threat. China's Great Ten were immune as were the Russian Federation's Rocket Red Brigade. Similar in design and scope to the Rocket Reds, the German Elite Guard served NATO. It was the Elite Guard that had served as a deterrent to keep the Rocket Reds out of the Crimean crisis and the Ukrainian civil war.

The United Kingdom and France had collaborated to create Firestorms and Firehawks. The original Firestorm served in the JLI while the original Firehawk had gone missing. Rumors surfaced now and then that she had served with Task Force X until its demise and now served ARGUS in an undisclosed team.

Batman, Inc. had been absorbed by either the JLI or the JLA depending upon inclination and country of operation upon the entity's loss of funding after the Wayne-Powers Enterprises merger. The five active Justice League Founders had salvaged a team calling itself the Justice League Unlimited and incorporated four pre-fragmentation members. They represented another group that only followed the dictates of their moral compasses, just as the League had at the very beginning.

J'onn's reflections turned to ARGUS once more. As the parent agency to the JLA, they wielded even more power than simple agency politics and jurisdictional rules dictated. ARGUS had been the umbrella agency that had controlled CADMUS. After CADMUS was shut down and disbanded, ARGUS simply swept up its duties and personnel into its own ranks and responsibilities.

ARGUS ultimately shut down Task Force X, but only a handful of its conscripted criminals were returned to prison and eventually liberated by the Legion of Doom to swell its ranks. The rest, like Firehawk, had simply officially vanished. Yet sightings of Firehawk and other former Suicide Squad member persisted after the World Army fiasco.

Other rumors circulated as well concerning the fates of the Freedom Fighters and the Force of July. Captain Atom had been in a romantic relationship with a fellow government agent named Eve Eden. Eve was more familiar to most as Nightshade. He'd revealed that Nightshade was part of ARGUS's top secret response group. The JLA was ARGUS' public face while this mysterious Checkmate entity was its hidden dagger.

In a more frightening change of events, over the past two decades, the United States had founded and organized several agencies to classify meta-human, supernatural, and alien events. All of these agencies, except ARGUS, had been handed over unconditionally to the United Nations.

The Department of Extraordinary Operations classified meta-humans as threat or potential ally. It was still run by Director Bones post hand over. He'd been a third rate super villain at one time who'd reformed and put his talents to work for the government and now the world body.

SHADE was designed to monitor and intervene in supernatural crises. They analyzed events and beings and determined the appropriate steps to take. In the recent case of the vampire war it seemed the appropriate response had been to sit it out and hope the Justice League Dark could end it.

And then the UN itself had created the International Security Agency, recruiting agents and specialists out of every law enforcement agency on Earth. They'd inherited the Watchtower space station, the worldwide teleporter network, and the Metro Tower facility. The ISA's primary functions were to prevent terrorism and to provide forensics support to the JLI, DEO and SHADE.

But key players from the JLU's former UN administration were largely unaccounted for. Waller and Sue were easily placed supporting the JLA. General Wade Eiling had all but disappeared. Which given Eiling's track record could prove to be very dangerous.

Max Lord, though, he represented an even greater mystery while occupying a pivotal public role. Max underwrote much of the JLI's operations the way he had the JLU before them. He also threw a great deal of public and financial support towards the JLA. He'd gotten major corporations, seeking a new public relations face after the disbanding of the Conglomerate, to sponsor the JLI and JLA.

Max, through his Innovative Concepts charitable foundation, appeared to be a multi-billionaire philanthropist but J'onn knew better. Max had invested one hundred billion dollars into the JLU and the UN merely to buy favor. His work as the JLU's public relations officer and diplomat to the UN had only been to influence policy. Max's true agenda had never fully come to light and J'onn wondered what would happen when it did.

J'onn's musings on Max led him to the shortlist of major corporations Max had convinced to support the "official" Justice Leagues. LexCorp, Ferris Aircraft, Wayne-Powers Enterprises, Golan Oil, STAR Labs, Mobilize Oil, and a few other notables topped the exclusive list. LexCorp and Wayne-Powers participation seemed to be a direct result of Mercy Graves and Derek Powers' direct orders.

While Powers was still gloating over the successful hostile takeover of Wayne Enterprises and its forced merger into Powers Technology, LexCorp was profiting handsomely from the fall of Caldwell Arms. With the revelations that Elliott Caldwell was secretly the cop killing assassin known as the Wrath, and the hidden truths of Caldwell Arms involvement in supplying both police and criminals with weapons to create a street war fed arms race, and then both sides were betrayed when those same weapons were designed to malfunction in such a way as to maim or kill their users had all but undermined public confidence in the arms dealer

Mercy had recently acquired Irons Tech from John Irons' heirs. Renovating his small scale manufacturing into a major production base, Mercy had been the first to capitalize on Caldwell's destruction with nonlethal innovations. Caldwell Arms orders had been cancelled wholesale and LexCorp's existing inventories were all ready shipping and backorders were being filled into the next year.

Mercy was being heralded as LexCorp's true heir. She'd saved the company from the brink of disaster once before and now she'd pushed it into gloried heights on the stock exchange and profitability that even Lex Luthor himself hadn't reached. And it all stemmed from Mercy taking the corporation into new areas and markets it had long ignored.

But the buzzing of the intercom interrupted J'onn's continued meditation as Captain Atom's voice penetrated his reflections, _"I hate to interrupt but we have several situations brewing at once. I've consulted all the major players but I'd like you to review what I've done while there's still time to alter deployments."_

J'onn knew Captain Nathaniel Hale USAF didn't hesitate very often. His admission of needing help was very precious and costly to a man that had been converted into energy and pulled himself together and survived by sheer willpower alone. Captain Atom's containment suit allowed him to function as a human being and also to avoid dispersal when his concentration lapsed.

"I shall be right there," J'onn promised. He shape shifted from his native form, which seemed to disturb humans, and adopted the more human aspect he was willing to compromise with. J'onn also chose to walk the distance to the monitor womb rather than levitate there. This too seemed to console humans.

* * *

"Yes, Captain?" J'onn announced his presence, "What seems to be your quandary?"

"We have multiple incidents erupting across the United States. The JLI and the major foreign players are all on alert should events spill over to them," Captain Atom counted down the details; "Central City is being ransacked by the Rogues. Flash is in Detroit and I have called him off of it for reasons that will become obvious later."

Captain Atom continued, "I contacted the All Stars and they agreed to handle Central City. San Francisco is also reporting a combined strike against the Teen Titans that seems to be attributed to elements of the Brotherhood of Evil and the Legion of Doom."

"Next," Captain Atom continued to report, "Ferris Aircraft's new administrative and manufacturing hub in Coast City has replaced the one in the Mojave that was destroyed when the Legion nuked Edwards Air Force Base. This site is also under attack from the Legion of Doom. The JLA signaled us they'll be handling it."

"Finally, there's Philadelphia," Captain Atom concluded, "Normally the Marvel Family would swing over from Fawcett City but the All Stars are reporting that the Marvels are part of an interdimensional rescue operation currently underway. So I chose that situation for our own JLU to intervene in."

"What kind of scenario is it?" J'onn wondered.

"Remember that Injusticer strike in Gotham? The Crime Syndicate and the Legion have taken control of City Hall but they're not issuing demands. It just seems to have happened for the sake of happening," Captain Atom complained.

"Which, of course, simply means it's a trap," J'onn concluded.

"Which is why I've already steered everyone else to Philly," Captain Atom explained.

"Very well. Excellent work, Captain. Now we shall join our comrades," J'onn adjusted the settings on a boom tube controller and activated it.

* * *

The boom tube delivered the Martian Manhunter and Captain Atom to Liberty Hall moments before Mr. Miracle and Barda arrived via the same means. J'onn's signal device pinged and he answered it expecting the Atom to emerge out of it, growing from the diminutive stature he'd achieved to ride the electrons of the carrier signal. Now standing at four inches high, he rested on the Martian's shoulder.

Superman was the next to arrive from Metropolis. Green Lantern released Shayera Hol and the Flash from a bubble construct so each could run or fly the rest of the distance. Now that the JLU was completely present, Captain Atom briefed the others regarding the myriad operations the Legion of Doom and its allies were conducting. No one even considered that it could be a coincidence.

"Luthor is up to something," Superman declared.

Shayera gave him a wry look, "Col. Trevor is right about you. You always think Luthor is up to something."

"That's because he always is," Superman said sagely.

"Agreed," J'onn voiced, "But for once, the Justice League's fragmentation is aiding us rather than hindering us as in Gotham City last week."

"Definitely," John Stewart agreed, "There's no way we could cover all four incidents with our numbers dwindled the way they are."

"I could at least handle the Rogues on my own," Flash was slightly petulant.

"I too have concerns, Flash. Miss Martian is facing a number of foes in San Francisco. Before the Teen Titans moved across the country, M'gann was a mere few dozen miles away. But now I cannot spontaneously check on her well being."

"I don't know why you care so much about her," Barda said, "She's a White Martian. Her race all but eradicated you Green Martians."

"Perhaps it is akin to the son of Highfather of New Genesis marrying one of Darkseid's Elite, the very leader of the Female Furies," J'onn posed the thought.

Barda's eyes narrowed dangerously so Scott Free interjected, "M'gann has proven over and over again she's a survivor. Don't count her out just yet."

"What bothers me is the JLA being called in to resolve the Ferris Aircraft situation. We should do that after we finish here in Philly," Atom complained.

"Ferris might be a pile of rubble by then," John replied, "And the US government has a vested interest in seeing Ferris Aircraft not stop production. Let the JLA handle it for them."

"But…!" Atom was livid.

"A word, little friend," Barda held out a hand to scoop Atom up. She counseled him in private while the others prepped to travel to City Hall.

* * *

Police band radio signals had the Crime Syndicate leading a group of Legionnaires in holding the perimeter around City Hall as an as of yet unidentified trio held the hostages inside. As the JLU approached Atom rode Barda's shoulder as she and Mr. Miracle used hover discs to fly to the scene. Flash ran ahead of the group to scout out what lay before them.

He found Killer Frost had created a series of barricades. And as he used sympathetic vibrations to bring down sections of the ice walls, he found rings of fire stoked by Volcana. He heard whistles and flares launching as his friends in the JLU came into sight. He wondered if that meant Signalman was present as well.

Shattering ice wall after ice wall, he raced through Volcana's flames so quickly he wasn't burnt. But Flash heard fighting breaking out before he cleared the last barricade.

* * *

Ultraman intercepted Superman. But instead of his usual swatting Kal-El across the sky, Kal-L of Earth-3 smashed Superman into the streets below between ice barricades. Superwoman immediately went on the offensive.

Superman was arguably the most powerful humanoid in the Prime Universe, but Ultraman was a close second and Superwoman was an equal match for her doppelganger as well. Superman barely had enough fighting acumen to contend with a similarly powered foe and now he faced two simultaneously. And to make matters worse Artemis of Earth-3 was an exact duplicate of Princess Diana of Earth Prime, and Wonder Woman was also Clark Kent's estranged wife.

So, faced with an equal match on one side and a nearly equal match he wouldn't fight back against, Superman began taking a beating.

* * *

Martian Manhunter was confronted by both Killer Frost and Volcana. Volcana, of course, controlled the one element as lethal to Martians as kryptonite to Kryptonians. As a pyrokinetic she could spontaneously create flame anywhere and everywhere she desired. She created rings of it around J'onn.

The Killer Frost would lash out with freezing temperatures and then Volcana would immediately reregulate the thermal density the other way. It was quite a repeated shock on a biological organism. And J'onn was already weakened to the point he couldn't escape.

* * *

John found himself facing Power Ring. Only Jessica Cruz was a new bearer of the Ring of Volthoom. John had previously fought against Jack Stewart, his own interdimensional duplicate from Earth-3. Between Jack and the Justice Lord John Stewart of Earth-2, Prime Universe John was sick of facing copies of himself.

From what Atom had described of the Crime Syndicate's assault on STAR Labs, the Ring of Volthoom was even more psycho-reactive than a typical Lantern power ring. It created fear to feed itself. Presumably if it couldn't get enough fodder from others to sate itself, the ring would consume the life force of its bearer. Which could mean one thing in regards to the Ring of Volthoom seeking a new bearer.

But Atom's theory seemed to hold true regarding the nightmarish constructs Power Ring created and threw at Green Lantern. But then, subtly, it happened. The nightmares began to echo John's own unspoken fears.

While John was distracted by noticing Jessica's own ring creating constructs around her to mobilize her fears to guide her into striking out at Green Lantern. And John had to wonder if the members of the Power Ring Corps were in command of their Rings of Volthoom or was it the other way around. And while he was distracted, Power Ring's ring tapped into John's psyche.

Power Ring's constructs began to twist and distort and they became his own unrealized fears. He feared for Shayera and their future children. His life with her was a dangerous one and had already cost the life of one of their unborn baby. History was prone to repeating itself in their line of work.

Then there was in all probability a rogue group of Thanagarians running loose on Earth Prime. After Shayera spared the Earth the fate Thanagar had planned for it, the planet and its subject worlds had fallen to the Gordanian Empire. So out there were Thanagarians refugees and Gordanians alike who wished her harm in the most egregious means possible.

And then most unsettling of all was his losing Shayera because he'd succumbed to his denied attraction to Fatality. It had become obvious to him that Fatality was nursing some unrequited feelings for him. But he strangely reciprocated those feelings as well.

After that point, the Ring of Volthoom fed gloriously.

* * *

Shayera fought against both Giganta and Sparrow Hawk. Shayera was still confused as to why the rogue interdimensional Thanagarian had changed her name from Kestrel to Sparrow Hawk. Before Hawk and Dove had left the JLU to help found the JSA All Stars, they'd spoken of an Agent of Chaos named Kestrel. But in order for Sparrow Hawk to have made the change, she had to have knowledge of the Chaos Avatar.

Most telling was Danya Helstrom was learning about strategy and tactics. In her alternate dimension, Sparrow Hawk had belonged to the Assassin's Directorate and therefore had not been a foot soldier. But Sparrow Hawk was displaying a ruthless efficiency Shayera normally equated with Gordanians. Try as she might to escape Giganta's grasping hands, Sparrow Hawk kept driving her back into them.

Sparrow Hawk had always been fueled by a blinding rage. Now her methods were cold and calculating. As Shayera weaved around Giganta's hands again, she lost track of Sparrow Hawk. Catching updraft, Shayera rose above Giganta's reach.

But Sparrow Hawk was already there. And her sword stroke would have taken Shayera's head off rather than bitten deeply into her cheek if she hadn't seen and dodged Sparrow Hawk at the last second. But that vectoring away sent Shayera straight into Giganta's grip.

Giganta squeezed the breath out of Shayera and held her in an iron grip. As black spots appeared in Shayera's vision, her narrowing tunnel of sight focused on John. She'd seen her husband in what she'd thought was every conceivable mood. But she'd never seen him terrified before now. And on that note, Shayera passed out.

* * *

Flash raced around Blockbuster and he had no idea the grossly distorted mass of muscle had once been a super model dubbed "the face of America". Rachel Sands had been an object of unparalleled desire across the globe. She'd crossed over genres and was a top 10 runway and fashion model as well as an adult pinup girl. She'd appeared on every conceivable form of print, cinema, television, online, and audio media available to the public.

But that fame had fueled the lust of her attackers when she was gang raped in Central Park. Only the fledgling Bat-Girl's intervention had allowed Rachel to survive. But she'd been horrifically scarred physically, emotionally, and psychologically. And Rachel had vowed never to be vulnerable again.

Having amassed a billion dollar media empire, Rachel began looking into means to satisfy her desire. Mark Desmond's work appealed to her. It had transformed him into the original Blockbuster. His brother Roland had picked the mantle after Mark's death. And now Roland Desmond was dead as well, killed by Troia in Fawcett City.

What intrigued Rachel was the possibility someone had continued Desmond's work. So offering to finance the research, Rachel shopped around and found several dead ends…literally since she killed them when they failed to fulfill their bargains.

Finally, the Ultra-Humanite responded. He'd perfected Desmond's prototype formula. Rachel could receive all of the benefits of Blockbuster's strength without being consumed by the primal rage. But, the treatment came at a price. Ultra-Humanite needed a fellow conspirator within the Legion of Doom.

Rachel readily agreed and her transformation had become a reality. She was now the third Blockbuster. And now she was pitting her strength and superior reflexes against those of the Flash.

KGBeast blindly opened fire on the surrounding area and forced Blockbuster to retreat. Flash dismantled KGBeast's gun hand while it was still firing in rotary fashion. Then he whacked the Russian over the head with half the gun's housing.

Darkwing came out of nowhere to attack the Flash. Wally West was also the third in line to carry the legacy of the Flash. Jay Garrick had been the first followed several decades later by Wally's uncle Barry Allen. At one time Wally had been slower than either Jay or Barry but now he truly was the "fastest man alive".

So he was long gone when Darkwing's throwing knives penetrated KGBeast's chest. Of all the long list of Batman wannabes, Darkwing was the only one that had earned the right to wear the cowl of Earth-2's Justice Lord Batman. But even he couldn't match Flash's speed.

Blockbuster came at Flash again but he simply weaved around her delivering hundreds of punches before breaking off to try and enter City Hall to rescue the hostages. As he neared the door, a motion sensor activated a light and pyrotechnic show. Lights flashed and popped and fizzed in a sequential pattern that seemed utterly randomized.

But Flash found himself unable to move as Signalman emerged from the building's front lobby, "Surprise! That little show triggered a paralytic response in your brain carried through to it by the optic nerve. It's designed to wear off in about five minutes but you don't have that long."

Flash barely registered Blockbuster's balled fists smashing down on his head and shoulders.

* * *

"I think we got off on the wrong foot last time," Atomica said cheerfully to Atom, "I'm Rhonda, by the way, and you invented the technology my boyfriend Johnny and I stole to become Atomica and Johnny Quick."

"Here, Johnny Quick was a hero and his daughter is one as well," Atom retorted, "Something you'll never be."

"Then let's make this quick and simple," Atomica offered, "You're going to lose and surrender to me anyway. Why not just save time and lives and do it now?"

"Bite me," Atom quipped.

"I'd love to do that, Professor. Especially since the news says your wife isn't giving you any," Atomica said gleefully.

Atom began to shrink and Atomica sighed, "Okay, a subatomic blowjob then."

Atom was already riding a stray electron when Atomica jumped off a neighboring one, bounced off of his, and hopped over to another electron stream, "Tag! You're it! Guess where I'm headed!"

Like his electron stream, Atomica's was a radio frequency signal. The type utilized by cell phone towers. Only she was riding another phone's signal. Which meant that caller was in actual danger.

So Atom jumped over and tried running up the electrons to reach her. But Atomica spotted his effort over her shoulder and she blew him a kiss before winking at him. And then she sprinted further up the stream.

Atom realized Atomica had an advantage over him. The goggles she wore, and could slip on while at sizes smaller than motes, allowed her to see better than his unshielded eyes. Suddenly a wall of inorganic molecules stood in the way. These walls turned into organic cells as the electron stream was converted into an audio signal.

Atom grew large enough to stand inside someone's ear. But there was no sign of Atomica anywhere. And then a scream was transmitted up the person's jawbone into their cochlea. The resound nearly deafened Atom just before a wave of blood and tissue matter swept him aside.

He had the sensation of falling so he restored his natural height to find himself standing next to a corpse. Her head had literally exploded as Atomica restored her own natural stature. Standing there, covered in blood and gore, Atomica grinned like a naughty schoolgirl.

"Oops, did I do that?" Atomica giggled.

"How…how could you?" Atom was flabbergasted.

"Hey, if you want a real thrill, try it inside a baby. They're so cute as they begin screaming because they know something's wrong even faster than adults," Atomica was practically giddy at the memory.

"You're insane," Atom realized.

"Not really," Atomica countered, "But a lot of people in this building will be suddenly having strokes and aneurisms if you don't simply surrender to me now."

Atomica slid her red lensed goggles up over her eyes and Atom peered into them. What he saw inside her made him comply, "You win. I'll come quietly."

"Hopefully not too quietly," Atomica leered, "But I thought it would take at least two more casualties before he lost your nerve. Face it Professor, you're just not man enough. No wonder your wife is divorcing you. I don't think I'm going to suck your dick after all."

Atom was grateful for small favors.

* * *

Count Vertigo caught Mr. Miracle by surprise and almost knocked Scott Free off of his hover discs. Which he realized would be a horrible fate because Multiplex had already created dozens of doppelgangers filling the street approach Mr. Miracle and Barda had chosen. Scott dropped some flash grenades and smoke pellets and tried to sneak around Count Vertigo and blindside him.

But it seemed as long as one Multiplex could clearly see him, they all knew where he was. As such, a Multiplex standing beside Count Vertigo told him Mr. Miracle's position and Vertigo used that knowledge to attack Scott. This time Mr. Miracle did fall into Multiplex's waiting hands.

* * *

"What the hell are you?" Barda asked King Shark, "Some deviant spawn of Apokolips?"

"I'm the son of the shark god, sweetie," he answered as he attacked.

Barda found King Shark to be just as strong as herself. And his claws and rows of teeth were razor sharp. He literally was a walking shark.

Barda managed to press her mega wand into his chest and blow King Shark back. He was slightly wounded but his tough hide deflected most of the blast. And Barda was dismayed as her weapon flew out of her hands into Psi's.

"I don't think you'll need this after all," Psi said cruelly as the mega wand floated nearby. She turned to King Shark, "Remember, they want her alive."

"No one counted off how many limbs they needed," King Shark meant to avenge himself.

"True," Psi conceded.

* * *

Shrapnel took the opening shot at Captain Atom. As he "exploded" into his fragmentary parts, several shards embedded themselves in Captain Atom's containment suit. Just enough to hinder his movements if he wanted to avoid ripping the suit further.

El Diablo knew he was just the distraction while Shrapnel reintegrated himself and Black Spider set up his shot. But he decided to demonstrate why he'd been the three time word heavyweight boxer. Of course, Captain Atom couldn't actually feel the blows but he was certainly annoyed by them.

Suddenly Black Spider's voice was coming out of El Diablo's ear piece, _"Chato, move a foot to your left."_

El Diablo feinted and then shifted position. A carbon cooling rod pierced Captain Atom's suit. While he was stunned by that development, El Diablo returned to begin his work again.

And Black Spider would call to reposition El Diablo as he spear gunned cooling rods into Captain Atom. He placed three in the Captain's chest and two in his abdomen. Captain Atom could feel his energy matrix ebb. He couldn't fly and he couldn't discharge quantum blasts anymore.

Feeling so drained, Captain Atom tried pulled the rods free. But the spear point had a deployable hook so he couldn't back the rod out and he couldn't pull it through because of a braking flange in his back. Finally, he just sank to his knees and El Diablo came to collect him.

* * *

The Justice League Unlimited was lined up on their knees in disgrace. Superman still struggled but Superwoman had him locked in an arm bar and he wasn't getting up. Ultraman stood by just in case the impossible happened and Superman was willing to either dislocate his shoulder or break his own arm to get free.

J'onn was in a state of physical shock and was merely clinging to life at this point. Volcana stood behind him in his nearly catatonic state and held two flaming globes of purest fire. Killer Frost stood nearby to respond should the Martian unexpectedly show signs of life.

John was also in emotional shock, having confronted every fear he didn't even acknowledge he had. He shivered and shook at the personal horrors he'd witnessed, no longer even certain of what had been of Power Ring's conjuring and what had really happened. Jessica Cruz was elated that the Ring of Volthoom was focusing its energies upon John and not her.

Shayera's arms and wings were bound behind her by Giganta's steely grip. She resisted but she couldn't match the former gorilla turned human's grip. And Sparrow Hawk stood with her sword poised even if she could.

Flash was nursing a concussion headache while gripped by Blockbuster. The sharp pain in his skull prevented him from attempting to vibrate free of her hold. Signalman also stood nearby with some gimmick prepared to wonk out Flash's brain again.

Atom knelt, discouraged and in despair. The blood soaked Atomica stood vigil behind him with her mere presence able to enforce her hold over him. He wondered if Jean was right and he had never actually been a hero.

Mr. Miracle was being roughly handled and surrounded by a dozen Multiplexes. Count Vertigo contented himself with being in the periphery should the universe's greatest escape artist try and make a break for it. But the sight of Barda in defeat stayed Scott's plans.

Barda's armor weave was ripped and torn with raking claw marks accompanying it. Barda was being held by Psi's telekinetic powers even as King Shark held her own mega wand on her. She truly wished the punk luck in using it.

Captain Atom was as beleaguered as J'onn and John. He barely possessed enough useable energy to manipulate his containment suit. But even it was beginning to sag. He had to wonder how he'd let himself get blindsided.

The three Legion of Super Villains Founders floated down from the upper stories of City Hall. Their flight rings, the same model Booster Gold and Goldstar used, gave them the ability to fly. Its effects were only limited by how much willpower they could exert. And each of these individuals had an iron will to rule at any cost.

"Welcome to our little recruiting party," Lightning Lord began, "While you've found yourselves temporarily overwhelmed by our allies' ruthlessness it is fair to say they haven't held back on you."

"I'd like to see how they exercised restraint," Atom smarted off.

"If they hadn't, you'd all already be dead," Cosmic King explained, "But we have need of your services."

"We can't be blackmailed or bribed into helping you," Superman managed to say in between grunts of pain.

"True, but this time you'll willingly volunteer to join our cause," Lightning Lord promised them.

"And why would we do that?" Shayera noticed the mystery woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Tessa hadn't spoken yet.

"Because I am your Queen and you will be my slavishly willing vassals," Saturn Queen predicted. And then the JLU's collective world changed.

* * *

Elephant Man was among the first Brotherhood of Evil members to breach the outer wall of the Teen Titans' compound in San Francisco. Wonder Girl intercepted him, "Whoa, ugly."

Elephant Man didn't spare the time to chitchat. He simply attacked. Cassie Sandsmark found herself facing an equal foe. And she was a semi-divine demigoddess.

Fortunately, while he had an elephant trunk, he lacked her Lasso of Lightning. Unlike Diana's Lasso of Truth, and Donna Troy of Earth Prime had possessed a Lasso of Persuasion, Cassie's lasso channeled her father, Zeus', thunderbolts. But Elephant Man continued to just shrug off the discharges.

Instead, he gripped the lasso and used it to fling Wonder Girl off of walls and the ground. Smashing her into the same point in the compound fence wall, he waited until she started to rise out of the rubble. And then he resumed his attack once more.

* * *

Shimmer cursed the fact her elemental transmutation powers only had a range encompassing a three foot radius. Kid Flash was streaking inside and out of that area and every time he neared her, he either slapped or pinched her bloody ass. The Australian was almost beside herself with frustration.

So Shimmer barricaded herself in by creating titanium barriers around herself. Hearing him outside the titanium walls, Shimmer transmuted them into free oxygen. Then she created a ring of phosphorous beneath the oxygen. Coming into contact with the oxygen, the phosphorous ignited and the oxygen burned and expanded as it did so. Shimmer created a second skin of iron but Bart Allen had no protection.

Then Shimmer transformed her iron sheath and the other elements into nitrogen. Seeing Kid Flash huddled together trying not to panic, she easily crept up on him. Then she created titanium chains and shackles around and on him. And before he could free himself, she turned the air around him into nitrous oxide. As he passed out, she tried not to throw up. Simple elements were easy but compounds and alloys were difficult and the effort always made her sick. But hot damn, it was worth it this time.

* * *

Mammoth found his way blocked by Fairchild, "Look honey, unless you're selling your sweet ass, get out of my way."

Caitlin Fairchild tried not to blush. His suggestion made her angry and queasy at the same time. So she hit him.

Mammoth was rocked back onto his monster heels. Wiping the blood from his lip, he chuckled, "Not bad, Sheila. Can you get as well as give?"

Fairchild was still trying to figure if he knew he'd mangled his sentence. As she blocked his first punch, she figured he'd done it intentionally. That act startled him so he dumbly stood there as she drove a second punch into his face.

He spat blood this time, "I like a little kink but unless we're playing with real whips and chains I'm not taking this anymore and it's time I punished you for being bad."

But her sidekick snapped three of his ribs and her follow through left cross staggered him. Mammoth roared, "All right, this ain't fun anymore!"

"Glad to hear it," Fairchild finally spoke.

She came at him with two left jabs and then a right cross. A left cross and another right followed those up. With Mammoth stupefied, Fairchild leapt into the air and drove a punch down onto his face. Mammoth huddled into a ball and started crying.

That confused Fairchild and she dropped her guard. Mammoth came off the ground with a massive roundhouse and she flew across the courtyard from the impact, "Sucker. Hey Sheila! I'm coming for you so get ready!"

* * *

Skitter intercepted Gemini's approach. Her insectoid form didn't give her much in the way of speech capacity so she simply chose to act. Her web spinning and stinger gave her the means to halt Gemini's advances while flying around the other woman. But Gemini beat a hasty retreat and moments later, Bunker appeared.

Skitter was a creature of instinct when she was in her insectoid form but Bunker made her heart melt. So she landed beside him and began chirping her cricket-like language in fond appreciation for his being there. And then Bunker shape shifted back into being Gemini. Gemini roped her body around Skitter and contained her while the rest of the Brotherhood and Legionnaires continued their inexorable march to the Teen Titans' headquarters.

* * *

Red Hood heard panic in the streets so he investigated only to find Phobia whipping the crowds into a frenzy. He put two bullets in her chest and Phobia went down. He was only slightly surprised when she got back up.

Resurrection was nothing new to Jason Todd. He'd been dead himself before Ra's al Ghul threw him in a Lazarus Pit. But Phobia was obviously wearing body armor akin to Red Hood's own.

"Let's see what you're afraid of," Phobia said with demented glee.

* * *

Beast Boy unwittingly gave away a hair sample to Houngan while smacking him around while adopting a gorilla's shape. Houngan attached the sample to his cyber-voodoo doll and began exploring it with an electric probe. Beast Boy responded by screaming out in pain.

* * *

The Brain and Mallah proceeded unimpeded into the Teen Titans' lair. Unknown to them, Raven waited within.

* * *

King Kull and the Weed faced Red Robin. Red Robin quickly disarmed Kull of his club by using a quarterstaff but he also swiftly discovered why Captain Marvel typically dealt with the subhuman barbarian. But in the end, he brought Kull down with guile and brute force.

The Weed threw his hands up, "Oh dear! I'm just not a fighter."

But he'd dropped several bulbs on the ground that opened up and spewed pollen dust in a thick cloud like the poppies in _Wizard of Oz_. The Weed Began cackling, "Stupid boy! Now the allergens will kill you!"

But Red Robin pushed through the pollen haze and used his staff to knock the Weed unconscious. After the wind dissipated the pollen, Red Robin removed his nose filters, "Like the Knight always said, 'be prepared'. I rather think he stole that line from the Yank Boy Scouts."

Beryl Hutchinson had once been the Squire to the UK's Knight. But the Knight effectively fired Beryl and replaced him with the Knight's own son. Beryl had traveled to the United States to petition Batman to take him on as a new Robin. But Batman angrily dismissed the idea and forbade Beryl from ever becoming Robin on his own.

So Beryl adopted the guise of Red Robin, which seemed to separate the identity enough to appease Batman. But NOWHERE had snatched him up for their Ravager program. He'd joined forces with a researcher named Caitlin Fairchild, who was secretly a meta-human herself. Leading a group out of the Arctic, they'd made their way to New York City and joined the Teen Titans just before they moved to San Francisco.

"Righty-O, time to check on the others," Red Robin decided.

* * *

Half-Ape and Black Mass dealt with Superboy. Half-Ape tried a half dozen or so portable devices out on Superboy but none were effective because Superboy wasn't truly human or Kryptonian but a synthesis of both doctored up in a cloning vat. And because of that, Superboy's powers operated on a fundamentally different level than Superman, Supergirl, or Power Girl's. In some ways he envied Galatea for her pure Argoan heritage but, then again, he enjoyed screwing with the minds of bad guys too.

"Forget this crap!" Black Mass angrily declared. He used his gravity bands to project Jupiter's gravity on Superboy.

Superboy was forced to his hands and knees but that let him touch the ground and employ his tactile telekinesis. The ground rippled and bucked underneath Black Mass and knocked him flat on his back. Superboy flew over the top of him and waited for Black Mass' instinctive reaction.

And Black Mass, being Black Mass, increased the gravity over Superboy twenty fold. Which meant when Superboy fell on Black Mass and punched him, he was twenty times heavier. One punch neutralized Black Mass and his gravity warping abilities.

"I'll be right back!" Half-Ape scampered off.

"Who needs ya?" Superboy wondered.

* * *

Bunker's constructs warded off Toyman's lethal mechanisms while protecting him from the Key's interdimensional portals. While he was able to destroy all of Toyman's playthings, the Key would open a portal into space and the vacuum would try to suck Bunker into it. Creating wall constructs to seal the portals until nature resumed and sealed them up, Bunker fought a simple war of attrition until finally the Key's key-shaped dimensional disruptor ran out of power.

"About friggin' time, man!" Bunker shouted as he created oversized construct gauntlets. It took a single punch to knock out the Key.

"Until later then," Toyman's backpack was suddenly revealed as a rocket pack and he flew off over the courtyard wall.

"Right," Bunker said in disgust, "Later then, dude."

* * *

M'gann M'orzz aka Megan Morse aka Miss Martian found herself pitted against Hector Hammond. She'd sensed his presence over her decade on Earth trying to assimilate the culture. His mind had seemed so daunting, and it still was, but his body was so…pathetic. She wondered if he'd been physically broken or if he'd sacrificed his corporeal vitality in exchange for mental acuity.

 _Don't underestimate me, my dear. I will gladly be the death of your paltry little mind,_ Hector thoughtcast to her.

"Can I tell you how rude that is?" Miss Martian wondered, "You don't just barge into someone's home and threaten them. It isn't polite."

 _Hah! You really are from Mars, aren't you? You're as delusional as J'onn Jonzz and his demeaning, 'all men are truly created equal' spiel,_ Hector thought into her mind.

"I learned how to be myself by being the opposite of my people," M'gann shared, "Would you like me to share some of my childhood memories? I'm sure you'd find them educational."

 _Why bother? I'll have killed you in another minute and then I'll shred the minds of your friends,_ Hector gleefully laughed in his mind.

"Oh, I think I'm sharing with you whether you want me to or not," Miss Martian warned him.

Hector found his mental shields easily pierced and then imagery began to take shape in his mind's eye. And with it sights, sounds, and smells as well. And the sounds! He could understand alien languages and he could feel what all of those around him felt. And Hector Hammond responded in the only sane way a mind could. It screamed.

Everyone across the compound clutched at their heads while Hector went on screaming. And finally, something inside of him snapped and he passed out. Red Robin, Superboy, and Bunker rushed to M'gann's side.

"What happened here?" Red Robin asked, "Are you all right? Is he?"

"Everyone's fine," Miss Martian shared, "I just shared some childhood memories with him and he took them to heart."

"Must've been some helluva collection of memories," Bunker guessed.

"Simple childhood lessons amongst White Martians," M'gann said innocently, "Nothing more."

"Riiight," Bunker wasn't convinced and neither was anyone else.

"Bunker, Skitter is in danger. Here's where she is and who she's fighting," M'gann telepathically transferred the knowledge.

"Damn!" Bunker hurried off.

"I wonder when those two are gonna break down and admit they're crazy about each other?" Superboy asked.

"Cassie is facing a threat as well. She's injured but continuing to fight," Miss Martian told him.

"Show me where she is," Superboy desperately insisted.

M'gann shared with his mind and he flew off as fast as he could.

"Someone else needs to make a few admissions it seems," Red Robin mused.

"I need to assist Caitlin," M'gann informed him.

"What's Jason up to?" Red Robin asked her.

"Don't ask," M'gann said grimly before flying off.

"Wonderful," Red Robin grumbled.


	3. Chapter 3

19

The Rogues had been instructed by Saturn Queen to do as much damage and create as much noise as superhumanly possible in order to create a diversion in Central and Keystone Cities. Having already looted Central City's diamond market district and major banks, the Rogues were ready to move on.

Central City was famous for many things but the biggest reason was because the second and third men to carry the mantle of the Flash called it home. The Rogues had all faced Barry Allen in his stint as the Flash and Wally West had been called Kid Flash. After Barry's death, Wally had become the Flash and eventually Barry's descendent, Bart Allen, came back from the 31st Century to pick up the legacy of Kid Flash.

Bart had been staying with a time travelling speedster from the golden age of masked men named Max Mercury. But when the Teen Titans moved to San Francisco and offered Bart a place to live in their compound, he jumped at the chance. Max still visited him a couple of times a week to make certain everything was going well for Kid Flash and his teammates.

* * *

But now the Rogues were moving on to the second city in the so-called Gem Cities. Keystone City also had a proud heritage since the original Flash, Jay Garrick, had first appeared in the Forties and had alternated his time between Keystone and the Justice Society of America's brownstone headquarters in New York City. Saturn Queen had assured the Rogues that neither Flash nor Kid Flash would be arriving to spoil their fun.

Neither would those in the Flashs' periphery. Max Mercury and Jesse Quick were both preoccupied so they wouldn't be racing in to interfere either. Since it was a domestic US situation, the Justice League International probably wouldn't respond. The Justice League of America would be busy with a situation of their own as would the Teen Titans. The Justice League Unlimited would be dealt with by Saturn Queen and her two LSV associates. The Justice League Dark was unfathomable but the situation wasn't mystical in nature so their involvement was negligible.

That left the JSA All Stars remaining staff on Earth and ARGUS' Checkmate division. Captain Cold and the Rogues expected the All Stars to arrive. From what little was known about Checkmate was that they were the bloody sword that had replaced Team 7. Deathstroke and his Titans were among the few that had encountered Checkmate and gotten away unscathed. But then again, half of the Checkmate team had been decimated by the World Army at the time so it hadn't been an entirely fair contest.

Having used a boom tube to drop off their loot in the Hall of Doom, the Rogues shifted their operation to Keystone City. They arrived in the bustling Freedom Park. And immediately Heat Wave took issue with the park's centerpiece.

"Lookit that!" he spat on the ground, "They erected a statue to the Flash. Not the kid or Barry but the original old fart."

"And they built an entire museum around all three of them in Central City," Golden Glider pointed out, "What's your deal?"

"Let's just give it the old thermodynamic treatment, shall we?" Captain Cold suggested to appease Heat Wave.

They used their respective cryo- and thermoblasters on the statue and it cracked and melted in response. Leonard Snart turned to Mick Rory, "Feel better now?"

"Actually, I do," Heat Wave said a tad belligerently.

"Look, we worked out our targets while in the Hall of Doom. Let's just get on with the plan and be ready for whoever is finally responding to our little tirade," Captain Cold urged.

"I kinda hope it is Checkmate. We need to deal with that traitor Digger Harkness once and for all," Mirror Master complained.

"Captain Boomerang will get his in the end," the Top promised. Golden Glider squeezed her lover's arm and nestled in close to him.

"So we're done terrorizing statues?" Golden Glider quipped.

"Just stick to the plan," Captain Cold replied to his sister, Lisa.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll stick with the buddy system," Mirror Master promised.

As the rest of the Rogues dispersed, Trickster and the Pied Piper set up in the park itself. Everyone merely thought they were colorful performers until it was too late. Then they didn't think anything at all.

* * *

The All Stars contacted the Central City police from the Star Spangled Racer while it was airborne. They quickly learned the Rogues had been and gone. Now Central City was getting reports from its neighboring Gem City that the Rogues had been sighted in Keystone City. So the All Stars diverted there.

Landing in a municipal airport, the team deployed in the wheeled All Star Racer. Wildcat drove them into town. Parking in a garage, he signaled the team's artificial intelligence back at the K-Star Ranch, "What'cha got fer us, Roxy?"

 _"They've split off into pairs. The city's CCTV network isn't completed yet but I have general locations on all of them,"_ Roxy reported, _"It turns out you'll enjoy fairly equal numbers on this escapade."_

 _"Only `cause they dumped my sorry ass with you,"_ Jakeem Thunder could be heard complaining in the background.

"Look, kid. I need ya there ta collect Goldilocks when yer Thunderbolt finally drags her butt in," Wildcat replied.

 _"Yeah well, T-Bolt says she's in somethin' called the 'House of Mystery' and he ain't allowed in,"_ Jakeem explained.

"She's gotta leave sometime," Wildcat told him, "So stay on it."

 _"You just don't want me along `cause I'm a kid and I ain't no Stargirl,"_ Jakeem accused.

Wildcat inwardly admitted Jakeem had a point, "Look, ya learn how ta take orders and work wit yer teammates and you'll get ta come out and play."

Jakeem's profanity laced rant didn't last long. But only because Roxy disabled her audio pickups, _"Sorry about that. He's pretty much just pacing around yelling at the top of his lungs at this point. Even the Thunderbolt is ignoring him."_

"Don't worry `bout it, Rox. Send us yer locations and any recommendations ya got fer puttin' together teams ta respond with," Wildcat requested. The All Star Racer's onboard computer pinged.

 _"Done and done,"_ Roxy boasted.

"Yer a miracle, Rox," Wildcat signed off, "Hey, Doc? Can ya give everyone a copy of this?"

Dr. Mid-Nite chuckled as he transferred copies of the data to everyone's smart phone-like communications gear.

* * *

"Stay frosty, we don't know what ta expect," Wildcat advised Lightning.

"Frosty's the word," Lightning noted all the frozen police cars beside melted ones.

Wildcat knew Lightning came from superhero pedigree but she was very inexperienced. Her father, Jefferson Pierce, had been the masked hero Black Lightning through the Eighties and Nineties. Afterwards, he'd trained Black Vulcan to replace him. Earlier this decade, Jennifer's sister Anissa had tried out being a cape called Thunder. Things hadn't ended well for her. Now Lightning had put on a costume in defiance of her dad's wishes. But Black Lightning had enough pull with Director Bones that the DEO had sent Jennifer to the JSA to get some training.

"These yahoos tend ta stick together like a bad smell," Wildcat commented, "So's our job is ta separate `em and beat the ever lovin' crap outta `em."

"So…which one do you want to take on?" Lightning sounded a bit nervous.

"I'll take Captain Frosty the Snowman," Wildcat told her, "He's da brains of the outfit. I may just be a punch drunk ex-boxer but I can bring it in a way that dippsy doodle won't have time ta use his stupid cold gun."

Lightning grinned. Ted Grant had been regressed in age by the third of his Nine Lives' Charm. He wasn't much older than she was now. Which was weird and wonderful all at the same time considering her dad had used to take her and Anissa to Ted's gym for boxing and martial arts lessons and spar with Wildcat's goddaughter, Dinah Drake.

"Like my dad would say, 'more power to ya, brother'," Lightning grinned at him.

"Yeah, Black Lightning is a helluva guy," Wildcat confessed, "I hated ta see him retire but not all of us get to live life over and over again. But he did right by you and yer sister. He also taught Black Vulcan his stuff."

"Dad never wanted Anissa and I to go into the 'business'," Lightning shared, "She promised him she would finish college before putting on tights. And she did too but the day after graduation, she became Thunder. The idea was we would work as partners."

"Thunder and Lightning," Wildcat mused, "It's gotta ring ta it."

"But Anissa got killed before I was ready to join her," Lightning said sadly.

"I know she thought she was ready but she wasn't," Wildcat stated.

Lightning shot him an angry glare and he held up his hands, "Hear me out. Anissa jumped straight inta the thick of it. Ya had a chance ta do the same but ya listened ta some wiser folks and hooked up with us JSA fogeys and yer doin' right by yer family because of it. Yer dad won't tell ya and yer sister can't but they're both proud of ya."

"Thanks, it means a lot," Lightning admitted, "And you're not an 'old fogey'. You're my age for God's sake."

"Yeah, but just a few months ago I was pushin' sixty-seven so gimme a break," Wildcat chuckled, "And give yer old man one as well."

"I suppose I should just remember how he freaked after what happened to Anissa," Lightning conceded.

"He's also seein' a lot of ghosts from the pasts poppin' up again," Wildcat told her, "Yer Pops grew up in the Sixties and Seventies. He saw the whole Civil Rights Movement as it was happenin'. Me, I marched with Dr. King's rallies."

"You did?" Lightning was fascinated for more than one reason, "Did you…did you ever date a woman of color?"

"Her name was Lorraine. After those bastards killed Dr. King, they targeted Lorraine and a whole slew of others. I got `em outta the south before the reprisals got too serious. Lorraine and I moved ta Gotham," Wildcat deemed it necessary to share, "But even north of the Mason-Dixon we couldn't get anyone ta give us a marriage license. We stayed together fer a few years as I got my gym up and runnin'. But then Laurel Drake died and left Dinah alone in this world."

"As her godfather, I took Dinah in and raised her as my own. But folks saw us with Lorraine and they just assumed the worst about Lorraine. It wasn't right and damn sure wasn't fair, but she eventually got tired of the fights and left," Lightning could still hear the pain in Ted Grant's voice, "She'd asked me not ta follow her but one day I got a call from a cop friend of mine. Jim Corrigan had done some diggin' and found out Lorraine had gone back to Atlanta. And those same sonsabitches we'd run from before had killed her."

"It took me five years of one weekend each month ta track `em all down," Wildcat was grimmer than she'd ever heard from him before, "Point fer me was I left `em alive. But none of `em ever walked again."

"So anyway, yer Pops is seein' racially charged killings gettin' more popular again and he has just one more thing ta worry about you bein' in a profession where people are expected ta be shootin' at ya," Wildcat told her.

"Look, I'm sorry for bringing that all up," Lightning really did feel bad.

"You didn't. I did. But it was ta prove my point," Wildcat replied, "So all I ask is ya don't go blabbin' it around."

Wildcat saw the name on the fence they were walking past, "Damn. Figures they'd end up here."

"STAR Labs Keystone City," Lightning read off, "Problem?"

"Could be," Wildcat admitted, "Get ta the backside of the buildin' if ya can. I'll try to push `em yer way and ya can ambush `em."

Lightning battled her nerves just like she did before every fight. Wildcat noticed, "Don't worry `bout the butterflies. I used ta get `em every time I got ready ta step into the ring. This super villain jazz just ramped `em up."

Lightning doubted his veracity but she appreciated the effort. Wildcat headed into the laboratory facility alone. It didn't take long to catch up to the pair of Rogues trying to determine which way to go.

* * *

"Lookit this, Len. Half this facility is dedicated to a particle accelerator," Heat Wave marveled, "Normally those things are huge, miles long even, but somehow they cut the total size down to an eighth of its usual length."

"So ask it to marry you before your screw it," Captain Cold snorted, "The reason we're here is all the various STAR Labs facilities have shipped all their thermal transference and cryogenic weaponry samples to this one locale."

"Transference?" Heat Wave protested, "What am I? HVAC Man?"

"It operates on the same principle Killer Frost's powers do. It draws off heat from people or objects and freezes them. But unlike Killer Frost, it can then accumulate and project heat," Captain Cold explained.

"I never knew Louise's powers worked that way," Heat Wave confessed.

"That's probably because: A) you're a horn dog and she's not into guys, and B) you're thermal blaster would probably overload her system and temporarily revert her back into being an average woman," Captain Cold explained to him.

"Or ya could just drop yer weapons and raise yer hands so I don't have to do a beat down on yer sorry asses," Wildcat announced as he approached.

"It seems our actual work has finally begun," Captain Cold told Heat Wave as they confidently turned around to face Wildcat.

"What work are ya talkin' `bout?" Wildcat demanded to know.

"Why spoil the surprise?" Captain Cold taunted him, "Where's your friends."

"Don't need `em against the pair of youse," Wildcat postured.

"Pathetic," he and Heat Wave drew their weapons at the same time and fired.

Wildcat ducked out of sight and Captain Cold called out to Heat Wave, "Split up and find his partners."

"On it!" Heat Wave declared as he and Captain Cold went different directions.

Wildcat hated to leave Lightning in the lurch but she was a big girl that knew what she'd gotten into. Guessing Captain Cold had gone further into the complex based on where he'd previously stood, Wildcat decided to pursue him. He wanted to know more about this "job" he'd been yammering about.

* * *

Heat Wave ran straight into the particle accelerator. Taking a moment, he systematically began rewiring different cables. And the few circuit boards he pulled, he simply slagged the soldering before replacing them. Gleefully having wrecked the project, he went out the back exit.

And he was hit by a streaming bolt of electricity. Heat Wave rocked on his heels as he spotted Lightning standing nearby, "Whoa! You do that?"

"And I can do so much more besides," Lightning advised him.

"Well, I hate to tell you this cutie, but my suit's insulated against more than just heat. So that shot of yours basically just tickled. Let's see how you do against my medicine," Heat Wave took aim and fired.

But his thermal blast melted the top off of a fire hydrant. Water spewed forth and cascaded all across the place. Lightning acted like she was shorting out but in reality she was buying time.

"Aw, seems like I popped your fuse," Heat Wave chuckled.

"And you're now standing in a puddle," Lightning countered.

Her next blast of electrical energy surged up through him. Heat Wave was insulated but his wet suit still served as a conductor. And it transferred electricity from Heat Wave to his thermal gun.

She let up, "Let's see what you got now."

He aimed at her this time and pulled the trigger. The thermal blaster made a fizzing noise and went dead. Heat Wave smacked its power cell a few times to no effect.

"Now we'll really see what you've got," Lightning intended to use every boxing lesson she'd ever taken to good effect.

It only took her a few minutes to knock out Heat Wave. And then the exit door opened again.

* * *

While that was occurring, Wildcat sought out Captain Cold. And he soon heard clanking footsteps approaching him. Captain Cold emerged from a lad wearing a metal suit.

"What the hell?" Wildcat had to wonder.

"Mr. Freeze's last project before he was taken into custody and remanded to Wayne Enterprises' custody," Captain Cold explained, "This single suit can do more than twenty of my cryoblasters combined."

"We'll see about that," Wildcat declared as he charged the armored Rogue.

The wrist vents surrounding Captain Cold's gauntlet turned blue and then Wildcat froze over. Captain Cold grinned, "I guess it works after all."

He trod on through the building on Heat Wave's trail. Exiting the building he found Heat Wave coming to and being guarded over by Lightning. He really didn't want to fight her electrical powers so he chose to distract her.

"I wouldn't do that. Not if you want to save Wildcat's life. You see, I encased him in ice," Captain Cold explained, "But not enough ice to place him in suspended animation. He has about ten more minutes before he suffocates and dies. But as I was telling my friend there, the lab is storing several thermal weapons. Pick the right one and you can still save Wildcat. All you have to do is let us go."

"Fine. You win," Lightning entered the building and never looked back.

Captain Cold knelt down next to the unconscious Heat Wave. Adjusting his glove, he pressed it against Heat Wave's chest and hit him with a cold wave. Heat Wave bolted awake.

"Gah!" he was shivering, "You know I hate it when you do that."

"Then stop needing me to," Captain Cold shot back at him, "Let's check on Lisa and Roscoe."

* * *

Dove and Hawk spotted Golden Glider and the Top in the fashionable jewelry district. The string of broken doors off of their hinges testified to their growing loot. As did the collection of velvet diamond and gem bags filling Golden Glider's arms. But as Dove dropped off Hawk and flew ahead, Golden Glider spotted the couple and she began skating into the air to intercept Dove.

The Top shoved the bags aside and watched with amusement as Hawk charged like a raving bull at him. Stretching his arms out, the Top began to spin. The centrifugal force created a windstorm and it literally tore at Hawk's flesh. And when the stubborn Agent of Chaos reached the Top, the Rogue's outstretched arms beat at Hawk at a thousand rotations a minute.

Golden Glider's skates produced ice trails that she tried to use to hem Dove into a cage. But Dove dove through the ice beneath Lisa Snart's feet. At first she fell, but Golden Glider got her skates underneath her again and slid down a ramp of her own making, down the street, and back into the air again.

Golden Glider began to worry about her lover. She hadn't told anyone, not even her brother, but Roscoe was starting to show serious side effects from his powers. He needed medical help but where could they go without getting arrested?

Golden Glider pulled her newly fashioned weapon out of its holster. It was the first ever gold gun. Firing off golden shots, Lisa tried herding Dove into Roscoe's spinning winds. Dove saw whatever the beams hit transmuted into gold. But she knew there had to be a catch.

And there was. The beam would strike an object and the surrounding air would transform into iron pyrite. The fool's gold would resemble the genuine article but be utterly worthless and it would only be a gilded cage.

Next, Golden Glider pulled artificial gems out of a pouch on her belt and lobbed them at Dove. Upon reaching a predetermined proximity from Golden Glider, the gems would detonate. Plastique had devised these babies for her and she loved them.

Dove shattered Golden Glider's ice trail again but this time Lisa was sucked into the Top's spin. Her belt pouch opened up and all the gems disgorged from it. As she was thrown free, the bombs detonated all around the Top.

That threw him off of his stride and straight into Hawk's eager fists. He struck down the Top with one savage blow. Golden Glider screamed as she shot Hawk and he became a golden statue.

Dove alighted between Hawk and the Top and had Hawk placed between her and the distressed Golden Glider. The Glider was panicking now, "Get away from him!"

"I promise I won't touch the Top if you revert Hawk back to human form," Dove offered.

"Show's what you know. The gold is just a shell. He should be able to be freed," Golden Glider countered.

A crack appeared in the gold and Dove shrugged, "Or he could break himself free. But when he does, and that's going to be quickly, he's going to take a very dim view of you two's activities. And your boyfriend looks like he's in shock and needs serious medical attention."

"I'm not surrendering," Golden Glider warned Dove.

"I wasn't asking you to," Dove let her know, "I'll help you move the Top out of sight, you do whatever you have to to exit this city, and I'll keep Hawk distracted to buy you the time you need."

"Why would you do that?" Golden Glider wondered.

"I have almost perfect insight and perception. Your boyfriend may be slowly dying. He needs help and I doubt he'd be allowed to convalesce in a standard hospital and prison hospitals aren't equipped for metas," Dove explained, "Which means you have to take him out of the country. I suggest India. Some of the doctors there are cutting edge."

"Okay, we'll play it your way," Golden Glider relented.

More cracks appeared all across Hawk's golden prison. Dove motioned for Golden Glider to move, "We really need to hurry now."

Hawk shattered the iron pyrite incasing him and shucked off what hadn't broken free. He looked around to find Dove landing next to him, "Looking for me?"

"Where'd our problem couple get off to?" Hawk asked her.

"I have no idea," Dove answered.

Hawk gave her the stink eye, "You don't lie so good."

Dove explained her observations and the deal she'd cut with the Rogues. Hawk noted the abandoned jewelry bags. Dove followed his line of sight.

"The insurance companies can determine who owns what. We just have to make certain no looters get them after this fact," Dove decided.

"Pretty slick," Hawk admitted, "Don would be proud of how you've really become Dove."

Dawn Granger almost fainted. Hank Hall never compared anyone favorably to his sainted brother. Not even her.

"I don't know what to say," Dove confessed.

"Just keep doin' what yer doin' and you'll keep bein' a kick ass Dove," Hawk suggested.

"Even though the bad guys got away this time?" Dove had to wonder.

Hawk shrugged, "Don woulda cooked up some deal along the same lines. That's why you were chosen. `Cause you got what it takes to be Dove. Just keep tellin' me we got all the jewels back and I'll ignore the fact they got away."

"Sounds like I cut another deal," Dove smirked.

"Yeah, you did," Hawk actually smiled.

* * *

Weather Wizard and Mirror Master made to enter the Visa Corporation building in downtown Keystone City. Actually Mirror Master went in alone with a portable hard drive. Weather Wizard stood vigil outside. It was this scene that Dr. Mid-Nite, King Chimera, and Cyclone came upon fifteen minutes later.

"What are they doing in there?" Cyclone wondered.

"Copying account numbers," King Chimera told her.

"How would you know?" Cyclone asked.

"I didn't always walk the path of angels, Maxine," King Chimera managed to reveal. He rarely discussed his past in front of anyone outside of Cyclone and even then, she didn't know much yet.

"I'll take whoever is inside," Dr. Mid-Nite decided, "Cloak me so he doesn't notice me."

King Chimera cast an illusion making Dr. Mid-Nite appear to be his alter ego. Pieter Cross easily slipped past Weather Wizard. King Chimera studied Maxine Hunkel.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked her.

"Am I ever," Cyclone asserted. He was happy to see her confident again. Ever since the incident in Seattle before the JLU broke apart, Cyclone had been self-conscious after her encounter with Killer Frost. He didn't know what had happened between them and she wasn't telling but it was causing her to doubt herself.

The couple openly strolled up to Weather Wizard. He laughed at them, "What's this? The kiddie show? C'mon and get real. I'm not backing down to children."

Cyclone's cheeks burned, "We're hardly children and we're especially not helpless."

"And we're not alone," King Chimera smirked. In the distance behind him, the Marvel Family flew towards their position and Atom Smasher was three times his normal height and swiftly approaching.

"Oh really?" Weather Wizard mused.

* * *

Dr. Mid-Nite found a trail of unconscious employees. Their eyes were dilated and their breathing was shallow but they were basically unharmed. Probably a result of exposure to one of Mirror Master's trick mirrors.

Dr. Mid-Nite read the directory on the lobby floor and went into the elevator headed for the servers. It seemed King Chimera's hypothesis was the correct one. And King had spoken from experience. So what did that say about their mysterious member?

Dr. Mid-Nite entered the server vault following a string of bodies. The network manager sat in a stupor inputting any data Mirror Master told her to and copying any information that he requested. But he spotted Dr. Mid-Nite's approach.

Pulling a handheld mirror from one of his leg pouches, he caught the light with it and shone it on Dr. Mid-Nite. It had a brilliant strobe effect. But Dr. Mid-Nite was already blind to the visible light spectrum so it had no effect despite it having some strange ultraviolet and infrared signatures.

In order to even see his distorted view of the world, Pieter Cross had to wear the dark goggles in his mask or his specially designed sunglasses. But that meant he could literally see in the dark. So he lobbed a couple of blackout bombs around Mirror Master and cut him off from the light his mirrors needed to work.

While Mirror Master tried to find an effective countermeasure, Dr. Mid-Nite reached him. When the original Dr. Midnight discovered Pieter's condition, which was the same as his own, he took the newly wounded physician under his wing. And he taught him how to function in a world filled with lights.

And then he'd brought Pieter to Ted Grant for training. It was during this time that Dinah Drake Lance came back from Team 7. He helped her grieve over her lost husband and eventually they began dating. But they never became more than friends and he wished her well as she embarked on a career as the second Black Canary. Just as she fondly wished him the best as he became Dr. Mid-Nite.

Dinah had joined the JLU and Dr. Mid-Nite was asked to be part of the resurgent JSA. Then the JLU absorbed the JSA and then fractured into pieces. He and Dinah ended up on different teams and now she was grieving over the death of Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow. But they kept in constant contact and Pieter still comforted her once again.

Dr. Mid-Nite quickly subdued and cuffed Mirror Master, "We need to get outside and shut your teammate down."

As the windows rattled and shook, Mirror Master agreed. They exited the building to find Weather Wizard had created a tropical storm in the mid-west. Cyclone had subsequently fashioned a tornado. Now the two were synergistically feeding off one another and both creators had lost control of their creations.

As the tropical storm ramped up into hurricane status, Mirror Master approached Weather Wizard, "I got it all. Just shut this down and we can make a break for it."

"Really?" Weather Wizard clubbed Mirror Master over the head with his barbell-like weather wand. As Mirror Master fell down, he became King Chimera again.

"Don't screw with me, kid," Weather Wizard warned him.

"I've got Mirror Master right here," Dr. Mid-Nite announced as he marched the Rogue out of the Visa building.

"You just had to get caught," Weather Wizard groaned.

"None of my mirrors affected him," Mirror Master complained, "It's like he's blind or something."

"He is blind, you idiot!" Weather Wizard snapped.

"Well, that explains that," Mirror Master accepted the new data with equanimity.

"God save me from incompetent morons," Weather Wizard bristled.

"If you surrender I'll tell the authorities you cooperated," Dr. Mid-Nite offered.

"I don't know how much of this weather system you can see or not but give it an hour and it'll be a Category 5 hurricane. Now if Tornado Girl here helps me, we can diffuse it before that happens," Weather Wizard replied.

"That's Cyclone to you," Maxine huffed.

"Whatever. Write me from Oz," Weather Wizard sneered.

Cyclone was ready to take issue with him besmirching her favorite books and movie. King Chimera intervened, "What would motivate you to help us?"

"Clever," Weather Wizard approved, "Mirror Master and I walk after the rain clouds disappear,"

"I don't…" Dr. Mid-Nite began to protest.

"Deal or no deal," Weather Wizard warned him, "Take the deal or don't take the deal. Sit on its face and screw it to death. I don't care. I can ride this out with the rest of you."

"You have a deal. But I keep Mirror Master in custody until you fulfill your bargain," Dr. Mid-Nite countered.

"If I don't, we might all end up dead anyway," Weather Wizard admitted, "C'mere, Red. We need to talk."

After a hushed conference, Cyclone nodded, "I can try. I've never lost control of a twister before."

"Because the nanites lacing every cell of your body don't use weather patterns to control the air. But your system is feeding my system and they're both out of control. So we take down one system at a time. We can work together on the tornado and then I'll be able to shut down the storm," Weather Wizard described his plan, "Got it?"

"Got it," Cyclone promised him.

What followed was a demonstration in sheer willpower overcoming natural forces. In Maxine's case it was overwhelming her nanites that made her Cyclone in the first place and reeling them back under control. As predicted, once the tornado ceased to exist, Weather Wizard was able to reassert control and dissipate the tropical storm.

King Chimera caught Cyclone as her knees buckled, "I have you, Maxine."

"My hero," she said a tad giddily.

"Now about Mirror Master's cuffs?" Weather Wizard looked exhausted but he was still willing to fight over the point.

"Just get out of town," Dr. Mid-Nite instructed as he unlocked Mirror Master.

As the pair of Rogues walked down the street, Dr. Mid-Nite got an urgent page from Lightning, "We need to hurry. Wildcat's dying and we need to get there to treat him."

"Where are they?" King Chimera asked.

"STAR Labs," Dr. Mid-Nite reported.

"You go," King Chimera urged him, "Maxine needs to take it slow until she fully recovers."

"I'm fine. Really," Cyclone insisted.

King Chimera let go of her and she began to sink towards the ground again, "My point exactly."

"Catch up when you can," Dr. Mid-Nite set out at a run.

* * *

Vibe and the Shining Knight came upon Pied Piper and the Trickster in the main park. Vibe stopped Sir Justin from approaching, "There are some seriously bad vibrations going on here."

"Ah yes, friend Vigilante has taught me that song," Sir Justin boasted, "But shouldn't they be 'good'?"

"This isn't really a song," Vibe warned him, "See the people doing whatever he commands, it's far more dangerous than a simple tune."

"What cans't we do about it?" Sir Justin asked.

"Let's try a little sympathetic vibrations of our own," Vibe decided.

Using his hand as a tuning fork, Vibe increased the vibrational pitch of the music until people broke free of the Pied Piper's control and fled the park. Shining King clapped Vibe on the back, "Well and truly done, noble sir."

"I'm just lucky no one's ear drums burst," Vibe admitted.

"Mayhap that be ill as well," Sir Justin conceded.

"They're splitting up now. I'll tackle the Piper and you handle the Trickster," Vibe ordered.

"The jester?" Sir Justin protested, "What harm can a fool inflict?"

"Ask him and find out!" Vibe called back as he ran after the Pied Piper, "Just go already!"

The Piper emptied out of the park in a shopping district. He began to play his flute again when Vibe tried to focus his powers to a degree he'd never tried before. And the Piper's flute shattered.

"You're not going anywhere, _hombre_ ," Vibe warned him.

"Be still my beating heart. Trust me I only want to go where you go," Pied Piper was instantly smitten.

"Excuse me?" Vibe was confused.

"That's a come on," Pied Piper bluntly clued him in.

"Oh. _Oh_ ," Vibe got it all at once, "I'm really sorry but I'm not gay."

"Not even bi-curious?" Piper still held out hope.

"Not yet," Vibe told him.

"Why are all the cute guys straight?" Piper complained.

"My sister says the same thing about gay guys," Vibe chuckled.

"Or they're spoken for or complete sluts," Piper continued his litany of complaints.

"That's true of all guys," Vibe conceded, "But c'mon. I'm taking you in."

"Do you even know where police headquarters is in this town?" Pied Piper wondered.

"Um…no," Vibe hated to confess.

"Go thataway one block, take a left and go six blocks down. Can't miss it," Pied Piper instructed.

"Thanks," Vibe cheered up.

"Thank me with dinner and dancing," Pied Piper requested.

"Um...no? Sorry," Vibe shot him down.

"Can't blame a guy for asking," Piper sighed.

* * *

Trickster had stopped to take photos of the crowds running from Weather Wizard's approaching storm. He found the panicking faces all too amusing. And he was getting ideas for jokes that would create more.

"Cease and desist, base villain!" Shining Knight ordered.

"Do you know Monty Python?" Trickster asked with gleeful anticipation.

"Nay, though I have sought the Holy Grail for my liege, Arthur Pendragon. But no such buffoonery was to be had," Tessa had forced Sir Justin to watch the infamous film and gleefully watched his outrage over its depiction of King Arthur and his knights.

"What pictures dost thou taketh?" Shining Knight snatched the camera from Trickster's hands.

"Hey! That's mine. I stole it fair and square," he protested.

Tessa had helped Vigilante teach Sir Justin how to work a digital camera. So he scrolled through the available pictures and his heart was rent in two as he came upon one of Saturn Queen, Lightning Lord, and Cosmic King. She really had gone away with the two strangers that assaulted him and now she was their willing accomplice. Her very features seemed altered. Crueler somehow.

"Where dids't thou take these photographs?" Shining Knight demanded to know.

"Let see, I wrote the address down somewhere," Trickster rummaged through his bag. He pulled out a kazoo, "Here it is!"

"What base treachery is this, varlet?" Sir Justin wanted to know.

"Nighty night," Trickster blew a note on the instrument and an odorless gas enveloped Sir Justin and put him to sleep.

"She said you'd be pissed if you saw any pictures or proof of her sending us here," Trickster recounted for his own edification, "Guess Queenie was right."

Trickster pulled out his communication device. It was highly similar to the All Stars' own gear. Disguised as an iPhone mock up, he quickly located the signal devices of every Rogue. They seemed to be converging on Golden Glider and the Top. Even Pied Piper who was walking Trickster's intended route. Firing up his airwalker shoes, he floated above street level and the push of air helped propel him faster than standard footy traffic would allow.

* * *

Dr. Mid-Nite arrived to find Lightning had used the thermal transducer rifle Captain Cold had described to Heat Wave. She'd sucked all the heat from the building's system and thawed Wildcat out. But he had a severe case of hypothermia.

After describing what the rifle could do, Dr. Mid-Nite sent her next door to tap out the building's boiler. Dr. Mid-Nite broke a pair of chemical heating pads out and placed them across Wildcat's chest before enveloping him in a reflective "space blanket". King Chimera and Cyclone reported in just as Lightning came back and doused Wildcat in slow infusion of heat.

"W..won…wonder…w…what…D…Dinah…would…think of the old man now?" Ted Grant pondered even as his speech began to come more easily as his core temperature rose.

"It wouldn't even faze her," Dr. Mid-Nite predicted.

"Yeah, shoulda seen her reaction ta my gettin' younger than her. Wasn't pretty," Wildcat told him.

"It was a healthy shock for everyone," Dr. Mid-Nite reminded him.

"I had hopes fer the two of ya," Wildcat finally revealed.

"Kurt's death left her emotionally unavailable," Pieter recalled, "And when she finally did trust someone with her heart again, he gets killed too. I don't think Dinah will open up again for a very long time. And then there's the trauma from her throat. There's a very real chance she'll never be able to speak again."

"Damn, the girl could sing too," Wildcat remembered.

"Yes, she could," Dr. Mid-Nite wholeheartedly agreed.

"So what happened to Captain Doorknob and his walkin' wazoo?" Wildcat asked.

"Give it another ten minutes and we'll find out," Dr. Mid-Nite instructed, "And that prescription isn't changing."

"Yah, maybe. But the kids don't gotta babysit us," Wildcat offered an alternative.

"True," Dr. Mid-Nite mused as the other three All Stars looked eager.

* * *

Captain Cold froze Hawk in place as soon as he spotted him. Dove stood guard over him but Golden Glider appeared and told her brother about her arrangement with Dove. He spared her similar treatment.

Trickster had overtaken Vibe and used his kazoo on him. Pied Piper was downcast. Mirror Master asked the obvious question.

"What's wrong with you?" was the equerry on everyone's mind.

"I met a Latino chili pepper and I had to let him go," Pied Piper sighed, "The worst part is he's straight."

"And an All Star," Trickster threw out there.

"Are you insane?" Heat Wave demanded to know.

"I know. Just shoot me now," Pied Piper pined away.

"Let's get Roscoe up and into a boom tube," Captain Cold instructed, "Then we need to find him a doctor. A specialist that can actually help him."

* * *

Dove had shattered Hawk's frozen prison. He wasn't as compliant with fate this time, "Dammit! Ya shoulda forgotten `bout me and taken out the Rogues."

"We'd both be popsicles if I'd done that, you jerk," Dove fired back at him.

The other junior All Stars had gathered up Vibe and the Shining Knight on their way to Hawk and Dove. Vibe had just realized Pied Piper had lied to him about where the police station was when Trickster knocked him out. And the Pied Piper had seemed like such a good guy too.

Sir Justin still had Trickster's camera. So Roxy could do a search concerning where Tessa was and who she'd become. In the end, Goldilocks had been the only one who'd known the truth and he'd partially ignored it because it seemed so outrageous. He'd never doubt her again.

* * *

Nightshade brought everyone through the Night Force from the House of Mystery to Coast City. With her were Black Orchid, Silver Swan, Enchantress, and Goldilocks. The plan was to approach the JSA. Nightshade, Black Orchid, and Silver Swan's ARGUS issued Checkmate credentials would hopefully foster some inter agency cooperation. Or then again, despite it all, Col. Rogers might decide to hand Enchantress and Goldilocks their asses.

No sooner had the emerged from the House of Mystery when Jakeem's Thunderbolt locked on to Goldilocks' position. A pink streak snatched her up and headed east over the horizon. If Enchantress had still worn a hat she would've thrown it onto the ground.

"Dammit! What does Jakeem Thunder think he's doing?" she fumed.

"He doesn't know what's going on;" Nightshade advised her, "Even with all Goldilocks has told the Shining Knight he didn't believe her enough to really push his case with the All Stars."

"So what does this mean for the mission?" Silver Swan sounded worried.

"We still make our approach and Goldilocks can take care of the All Stars," Nightshade reasoned it out, "This way we cover two bases at once."

"And do we intervene between the JSA and the Legion of Doom?" Black Orchid wondered.

"Only if they start losing," Nightshade clarified, "Which I doubt will happen."


	4. Chapter 4

31

The Invisible Jet flew unseen through the air. It was masked from all electromagnetic detection as well as electronic and visual surveillance. To add to the plane's allure, the CX-17 was heavily modified from its banal C-17 cousins in that it was a supersonic aircraft. So a transcontinental flight from LexCorp's outer Metropolis airfield to Coast City would take less than an hour compared to the three hour long subsonic variant.

The Justice League of America now boasted more than an impressive plane. It had an official headquarters now. Max Lord had convinced the United Nations' Secretary-General to cede the Brooklyn site for the Hall of Justice over to the JLA. And Max had already built a facility to Amanda Waller's specifications. In preparation for the handover, in exchange, ARGUS in general and the JLA in particular, guaranteed a high degree of cooperation with the UN's Justice League International.

However, after Atlantean, Almeracian, and World Army troops had ravaged New York City in efforts to capture the World Body, native New Yorkers were less than thrilled to have a Justice League returning to their city. Petitions and protests had been underway for a week now. Pundits debated, editorials were written, and newscaster interviewed countless people on the street. And all of it was useless because the bureaucracies had already decided the fate of the common man.

Otherwise, the JLA rode a wave if accolades concerning their mission to Gotham City just a short two weeks ago. Even POTUS himself fanned the flames of the praise in order to liven up his own Presidential legacy which would be ending in thirteen more months. Waller was already sifting through the candidate pools determining who would be the most malleable.

* * *

Col. Steve Trevor sat at the communications console within the Invisible Jet's cockpit, "Anything new to report, Sue?"

Sue Dibney, longtime wife of the Elongated Man and current Chief of Operations for the JLA, sighed, _"No, Ferris Security is overwhelmed by the Legion members attacking their hub facility in Coast City. Since Ralph is on inactive duty, I have him running down radio intercepts to track down who all is involved."_

"Tell him he has another ten minutes and we'll go with what he already has," Trevor told her, "We need to get our planning brief underway so we can cook up a good countermeasure to the crisis."

" _He'll be ready. He's just being nitpicky at this point,"_ Sue said wryly, _"Ralph's just pissed that Guy got cleared for duty and he was left behind."_

"Gardner has a thicker head," Trevor chuckled, "And assure him any contribution the Elongated Man makes to a case is a valuable one."

" _Oh God, no. He'd be absolutely insufferable then,"_ Sue laughed

"Any news on Selina and Kitrina?" Trevor wondered.

Selina Kyle and Kitrina Falcone served the JLA at Trevor's behest. Catwoman had a remarkable record with the Justice League Unlimited. She had an even longer rap sheet with the Gotham City Police Department and INTERPOL. Kitrina was Roman Falcone's niece and was wanted by the police under her old pseudonym "Kittyhawk" before she became Catgirl. Since her supposed "disappearance" and moving in with Holly Granger, Kitrina was now sought after by the Falcone crime family and the GCPD alike.

So Catwoman and Catgirl were unofficial members of the JLA and were excused from all the press conferences and official dispatches. And at this moment in time, they were enjoying the sights and sounds of Monte Carlo in one of the city's finest, and most expensive, 5 star hotels. Selina had refused to undertake the mission otherwise. Waller had tapped into the ever shrinking black funds and paid their way.

Sue knew Trevor's interests in Selina were conflicted. She was obviously infatuated with him. To a degree that eclipsed her usual penchant for Batman. Trevor was coyer regarding how he felt. But the truth of the matter seemed to color his responses where Catwoman was concerned.

"Do either Selina or Kitrina have a clue Spoiler is on their tail?" Trevor asked.

Stephanie Brown had been included into the JLA at Batman's direct behest. Waller had almost tripped over herself to get Spoiler into the club. And she was a natural since Cluemaster was the JLA's target in Monte Carlo and Stephanie had originally donned her costume in an effort to spoil her father's schemes.

" _They probably do,"_ Sue let him down mercifully, _"Both Selina and Kitrina have lived this long by having fifth, six, seventh, and probably a whole slew of senses we know nothing about."_

"And Spoiler doesn't know her father is behind the proposed heist she's there to prevent?" Trevor asked.

" _Amanda relented and finally told her before she was sent off to the airport. It seemed to just fire her up more. I think she's finally ready to kick the crap out of her dad,"_ Sue reported, " _But the offside of all of this is that Arthur Brown is using the baccarat tournament as a cover for the jewel heist Catwoman and Catgirl are preventing. Cluemaster has been given this task by Lex Luthor as a buy-in to the Legion of Doom. Jewels are irrelevant to the Legion's day to day operations so we actually have no idea what Cluemaster's true agenda is. Or if he's prepared to kill his own daughter to achieve it."_

"Her mission is to distract Cluemaster. Anything above and beyond that is on her own initiative," Trevor replied.

" _Damn it, Steve! She's a teenage girl going up against her super criminal father. No matter how this goes down, Spoiler will be the true victim here,"_ Sue lectured him.

"Which is why Batwoman is our hidden asset none of the players know about," Trevor finally revealed to Sue.

" _I saw Kathy Duquesne get on board the Invisible Jet with you all. How can she be in two locations at once?"_ Sue wanted to know.

"Batwoman is our one operative that can be," Trevor sounded a little smug even to himself.

" _Oh. My. God. How did you get Rocki Ballantine back in the costume?"_ Sue immediately disapproved.

"Her startup needs impressively large contracts to justify its existence. ARGUS will provide those in exchange for her occasional service," Trevor explained.

" _Steve, there is no way in hell Dr. Ballantine is up for this. Who the hell thought up this disaster waiting to happen?"_ Sue was furious.

"It originated with me but Amanda loved it," Trevor confessed.

" _She would,"_ Sue said snidely, _"So you effectively bribed Rocki into a suicide mission. I hope your both proud of yourselves. I expected more from you both than bribery"_

"I tried appealing to her sense of justice and patriotism. Amanda resorted to the bribe," Trevor shared, "Even that didn't work until Amanda threatened to blacklist the company so no one would ever place any orders."

" _I can't tell you how disgusted I am with this,"_ Sue retorted.

"I'll survive," Trevor told her, "Don't have any illusions about me, Sue. I will do anything necessary to accomplish my assigned mission."

" _I can see that now,"_ Sue grated.

"You may not want to be saying that loud enough for those of us without super hearing to listen in," Power Girl warned him from the door leading to the passenger deck.

Trevor noted how Galatea wasn't even fazed by what she'd undoubtedly overheard. Her star went up a notch with him, "What's going on, Galatea?"

"The others are growing restless," Power Girl advised him, "We need to start the mission planning."

"I'll be there in a second," Trevor promised. As she secured the door again, Trevor returned his attention to Sue's image on the screen, "I need Ralph's list."

She turned away and spoke to someone off camera before facing him again, _"It's uploading now. I don't think you'll need me to wish you luck."_

She signed off and Trevor scowled. This could prove problematic in the long run.

* * *

Trevor exited the cockpit and entered the passenger lounge. The seats were all up against the cabin walls next to windows. He used the small remote magnetically attached to the outer restroom wall to activate the center table. As it lifted off of the deck, all of the chairs unlocked from their positions and slid to the table.

Trevor activated the smart table's holographic projector and an orthographic view of the Ferris compound floated above the table's surface. As Trevor stood to give the briefing, he noted that Power Girl, Black Adam, and Isis stood behind their respective seats. What was turbulence when you were basically immune to conventional harm?

"Here's what we know so far," 2D satellite imagery appeared in flat screen styled displays below the floating facility, "The security force has been ravaged. Only pockets of resistance remain but most of the employees made it out off the grounds."

Stragglers appeared in the thermal imaging as they made their way towards the perimeter fencing. Trevor resumed his brief, "ARGUS is coordinating with the local FBI assets in place to surround the facility and quarantine it. The International Security Agency offered to help but Director Waller declined on your behalf."

"Is Waller completely brain dead?" Speedy blurted out.

"Waller is interested in securing military secrets stored in or parked at this compound," Trevor replied, "ISA personnel are derived from multiple international sources. Therefore they would be privy to information we don't want hostile regimes to acquire."

"So this is less about the people being terrorized as it is closing down a potential leak for the military," Speedy said harshly.

Black Canary gave her a pitying look. Dinah Lance was all too familiar with this world. But Speedy wasn't done yet.

"In three weeks I become the chairperson of Queen Consulate's board. When that happens, I promise you I will be shutting down any godforsaken military projects the company has underway," Speedy angrily announced.

Trevor cast a sharp glance Black Canary's way. She shrugged. She was only Mia Deardon's guardian until she turned eighteen and Speedy was very much her own woman already.

Trevor reeled for a second. The table's computer pinged and Trevor called up the received data, "Here's our list of who's who on site. This may or may not be a partial report Ralph pieced together from radio intercepts."

The document appeared on the table's surface at every seat. Speedy took one last shot, "Excuse me, but are even going to bother rescuing any potential hostages?"

"Let's just run down the list and begin planning for _every_ contingency," Trevor allowed and inwardly groaned. Trouble was just multiplying today and they hadn't even met the enemy yet.

* * *

On the CEO's office at Ferris Aircraft, Ultra-Humanite had rolled out his own roll top keyboard and tablet. He was tapped into the complex's CCTV, motion and infrared sensors, and the radar installations. The federal agents at the fences had been smart enough to cut the outer CCTV network and verify the Legion had electrified the fences.

But the inner perimeter, local airspace, and inner buildings were still under close observation. Most of the building interiors were monitored as well. Ultra-Humanite had found two things to marvel at this juncture.

One was that Carol Ferris had built such a remarkable empire in her short tenure as CEO. Ferris had been a thriving concern under her father's watch but when the star sapphire freed Carol to act under her own will, she'd employed her formidable drive and will into forging her inherited company into _the_ industry leader. Even Luthor grudgingly admitted admiring Carol's business acumen.

The second being, Humanite actually found himself wishing either the Riddler, Clock King, or Calendar Man were here to alleviate some of the concerns Ultra-Humanite had with trying to monitor miles of Ferris property. Although, since Riddler's henchwomen, Query and Eco, had returned to him _and_ he'd learned of the existence of his illegitimate daughter, he'd been even more obnoxious than ever. And it seemed the teenage girl, calling herself "Enigma", viewed herself as a rival to the Riddler. And if her bilking Penguin out of one million Euros was any indication, she was savvy enough to be a credible threat.

The entire Coast City operation, and Ferris Aircraft as its target, was a carefully orchestrated lure for the JLA to intervene. Ultra-Humanite and his team had every available scrap of information the Legion had on the Justice League if America at their disposal but they unknowingly lacked key pieces of data. For one thing, they didn't even have a complete team roster.

The Legion had assumed Catwoman and Catgirl would be coming along with the rest of the team. They had no knowledge of Spoiler or Batwoman II's participation with the JLA. Penguin had been nebulous in handing over any information regarding Starling and it wasn't confirmed or denied that she'd enlisted with the JLA. To all of the Legion's knowledge, she was just a disgruntled ex-special ops soldier turned mercenary.

Guy Gardner and Nemesis would also prove to be unexpected surprises because the Legion still had them listed in the inactive roster. And finally, no one had a clue Azrael had joined the JLA. They had less of a clue regarding who Azrael even was beyond a semi-mythical figure attached to the even more enigmatic Order of St. Dumas.

Jean-Paul Valley had inherited the role of the Order's chosen champion after the death of his father. Few in the Order had expected Jean-Paul to survive his first mission. But he had and the burgeoning Azrael had not only met the infamous Batman but he'd been recruited as an agent of Batman, Inc. With Wayne Enterprise's hostile takeover by Powers Technology, all corporate funding to Batman, Inc. had ceased.

Bruce Wayne still had his personal fortune to cover his personal crusade but most of the other foreign Batman operatives enlisted in the Justice League International. Batman had secured Spoiler and Azrael's places in the JLA. But Waller knew the tech genius Jean-Paul was also designing next-next-generation equipment for Batman. Her taps into the fabled Bat Computer were limited since Barbara Gordon hadn't worked on the system for two years now and Bruce Wayne had upgraded several key software security patches since their divorce.

But regardless, the former Batgirl's intelligence gathering spyware had proven Azrael was designing a new Batsuit and a Batmobile that could actually fly. The suit was a technological marvel that would augment Batman's strength as well as granting him sensor capabilities beyond human sensory capability. The new batarangs were also a vast departure from the old school originals.

It seemed Batman was finally admitting that he was mortal after all. Bruce Wayne was nearing fifty years old now and dragging Batman along with him. He could only keep pushing his body so far before it broke down completely. Sheer force of will was an awesome thing but it could only take you to the levels of human endurance.

Of course, the Order of St. Dumas had originally balked at sharing Azrael as an agent of the Bat. But the Order quickly deduced that it was an excellent training program for Azrael so long as his first loyalty lay with the Order itself. In fact, the Order of St. Dumas' grudging admiration of Batman grew as Azrael began to assist him. Their entire paradigm began to shift as a result and the secret cabal actually pushed Azrael into joining the JLA. Waller knew Spoiler and Azrael were proxies intended by Batman to observe and influence the JLA on his behalf.

But the Legion of Doom had one simple mission in Coast City: to beat the JLA into submission. But Saturn Queen had decided to allow them to kill any extraneous JLA members who couldn't prove worthy of the challenge. The Legion was more than willing to test the Justice League.

Saturn Queen had supplied a list of those she desired to be beaten, humiliated, and broken into submission _if_ they survived the onslaught. Once that was accomplished, the Legion would detain the survivors while the LSV Founders dealt with the Justice League International. Then, with the combined might of the JLU and the JLI at their disposal, the Founding Trio would tackle the challenge presented by the JLA and the JSA All Stars. Once they were indoctrinated as well, the rest of the world would quickly capitulate. In the end, even the vaunted Justice League Dark would kneel before them.

Ultra-Humanite, and even Luthor, didn't fully grasp the depths of the LSV Founders' plans. They intended to create a new society. A society geared to follow the dictates of an Overseer. Luthor would be their proxy in this time as they travelled back to their own future. Luthor would use the Justice League as foot soldiers in Darkseid's quest for power. New Genesis and Almerac would fall. The Greek and Norse Pantheons would topple before them. And finally the Prime Universe itself would be ground under Darkseid's heel before the thousand year conquest of the multiverse began. And in exchange for initiating this pogrom, The Legion of Super Villains would reign over the Prime Universe in the 31st Century.

Ultra-Humanite didn't trust Luthor or Grodd's ultimate ambitions in this venture with the future Legionnaires but his own conspirator, Blockbuster, was assigned to Saturn Queen's unit. He took a moment to reflect on Rachel Sands.

He'd never noticed her when she'd been a boring super model. But now she was the first woman he'd been sexually active with since his former lab partner, Santana, had helped him genetically mutate his ape body and she'd surgically transplanted it into the simian body. Santana had never looked twice at him as a human but she became a voracious lover once he was in a gorilla's body.

It was then that he'd discovered she frequently indulged in bestiality. But a few animals had proven too dangerous to couple with. So she desired them all the more. They'd parted ways and he'd since learned she continued her work and had created a mutated, brain swapped sex cult in Africa. But despite her proclivities, she never altered a thing about herself.

When he'd contacted her, Santana sent him a host of pornographic sex films she'd taped of her encounters. Her pay-per-view website funded her work. Ultra-Humanite began sending ones of he and Rachel together and Santana found Rachel just bestial enough to be aroused.

Ultra-Humanite knew it would take time for the JLA to arrive and strike. But even Brainiac hadn't discovered the existence of the Invisible Jet yet. So the Legion was planning on a two-to-three hour respite while the JLA flew in, landed, acquired transportation, and negotiated passage through the cordon surrounding Ferris Aircraft.

So when the Invisible Jet did a flyby before landing on one of Ferris' own runaways, Ultra-Humanite was suitably surprised. He did find it sporting that the JLA had delivered themselves like a tidy little prize. He alerted the Legion and set back as Scarecrow prepared the final surprise of the day.

* * *

Power Girl, Black Adam, Isis, Hawkman, Guy, and Troia flew ahead of the ground based JLers. Every building needed to be checked for hidden employees or hostages. Col. Trevor would lead a select team straight to the main admin building where the Ferris Security force had last reported in from. Huntress, Question, Starling, and Bat-Girl accompanied him while the rest deployed across the campus.

Man Bat had already been in the air when the Invisible Jet came in for a landing. He chose, with instinctual cunning derived from his animal nature, to attack Hawkman first. The reincarnated Thanagarian had dropped back from the other flyers for some reason, and it made him a perfect target.

Man Bat struck at Hawkman from above and when he dove off, Carter Hall saw the killing gleam in Man Bat's eyes as he peered over his shoulder and emitted a sonar cry to ascertain Hawkman's exact position. Carter decided he didn't care if there was a human base inside the Man Bat template; he was going to rid the world of this pestilence once and for all. So he was free to engage with whatever means he had at his disposal.

Man Bat swooped around and came at Hawkman again. His claws ended whatever reservations the archeologist had. He applied his Nth metal mace liberally to Man Bat's head.

As Man Bat withdrew, he was bleeding from scores of wounds to his face and head, had a number of cracked ribs, and a broken leg. And Hawkman wouldn't let up as he pursued the fleeing Legionnaire. What he didn't know was Ultra-Humanite had prepared for such a contingency.

Ferris had developed ion missiles based upon technology leased from Queen Consolidated. They created an electrical field that ran counter current to most electrical systems thereby knocking them out. The same ran true for most nervous systems.

So when Humanite triggered the launch of a phalanx of ion missiles from the test firing range, Hawkman had thought they were simple, conventional warheads. It wasn't until his nervous system was shorted out that he would later realize his mistake.

After Hawkman limply fell to the dirt field below, Man Bat landed near him and dragged his broken leg as he crawled to reach Hawkman. Man Bat wasn't the most reasoning of creatures but he saw a simple exchange rate here. Hawkman had hurt him so he would eat Carter.

* * *

"Very impressive," Bane remarked as he viewed the armored Azrael, "And who might you be, _senor_?"

"I am Azrael," Jean-Paul answered, "The Avenging Angel."

"Or the Angel of Death, no?" Bane was amused, "But I am Bane and I am the end of your existence."

Blades extended from the sheaths that covered Azrael's arms from his wrists to his elbows. Then the blades ignited. Bane was delighted.

"Very impressive indeed," Bane chuckled, "But how is this for a parlor trick?"

He hit his Venom injector controls and a dose traveled up the tube from his wrist to the connection at the base of his skull. Metabolizing almost as swiftly as received, Venom made Bane's muscles bulge and expand, swelling with artificial power. Bane flexed.

"How does this compare to your toys?" Bane demanded to know.

Azrael didn't go for the obvious lunge. Instead he ducked under Bane's attempted bear hug and drove a knee into the man's chin. Bane staggered back. Azrael delivered a sidekick between Bane's fifth and sixth ribs and felt them cave in. And as he went for another kick, he was brutally reminded of why, although the bulk of a human being's power is in his/her legs, a kick throws one partially off balance and leaves them vulnerable.

Bane grabbed Azrael's leg and swung him like a club into a nearby wall. Bane released the leg and stepped back to survey his work. But Azrael rose like a mythical phoenix.

Now he employed his blades. Bane's reflexes and speed were augmented by the Venom as well. He blocked most of the strokes intended to disembowel or behead him, but Azrael did score several debilitating strikes against Bane's legs.

A leg sweep knocked Bane over. Azrael could tell Bane was already slowing down and as the crime lord reached for his injector again, he knew it was true. So Azrael severed the line between injector and addict. Bane bellowed in rage as he scrambled to his feet.

"I will kill you, _Diablo_! I will crush the life out of you," Bane threatened.

Azrael had always been taught to spare words during combat. While they could distract a foe they could distract the speaker while s/he sought a pithy comeback. So as Bane crossed his arms and charged like a roaring bull, Azrael simply stabbed Bane's arms before being driven into the wall behind him. Azrael felt all the air in his lungs being pressed out of him and he couldn't draw a breath anyway.

* * *

Ri and Darknight caught sight of roaming Ferris employees. But at one glance at their costumed attire, the employees invariably ran from the Chinese couple. And Ri and Darknight knew that while infamous in their native China, they were hardly known in their new country, despite ARGUS' media efforts.

So they followed a group of stragglers to an outlying hangar complex that seemed shuttered. As they entered one employee shut and locked the door behind them. And then he sprinted to join three others. And after a collective fusion, stood revealed as Clayface.

When the duo spoke, it was in their native Mandarin. Darknight advised Ri, "Be very careful. He can assume any shape or guise."

"But surely he can't fight us both from different sides," Ri suggested as she drew her sword.

Darknight also drew two short swords from underneath his cape, "I do not know but I fear the worst from this one."

As the JLers split up, Clayface grew two extra arms and bisected his head so one eye tracked each agent. As each arm became a blunt or edged instrument, it lunged at them both and attacked towards the two different sides. Ri immediately regretted her early assumptions but she marveled at Darknight's agility and ability to evade Clayface's arms of destruction.

She knew Darknight was an orphan raised in a traveling circus. He'd spent most of his time with the acrobats and tumblers. Scouts from the government had taken the boy and trained him to be Darknight, the People's Hero just as they had taken Ri at an early age as soon as she began manifesting her healing gifts.

Ri cut off each arm as she dodged it but the remaining stump would lengthen out to replace the lost limb even as the severed trunk itself crawled back to Clayface's main body. She knew Matt Hagen had been human once upon a time but there seemed to be little trace of that now. Ri was losing heart and ground then she saw Darknight retreat to an oil barrel.

As he punctured the barrel several times with his blades, Darknight discovered what was really the drum was JP-10 aviation fuel. Which would serve him even better. He dropped a flare in the leaking fuel and sprinted straight for Ri. Shielding her with his body, they weathered the drum's explosion.

And then alarms began to sound and the fire suppression system activated. As Darknight had guessed, it was an old fashioned sprinkler system rather than the newer Halon devices because the hangar couldn't be sealed nearly airtight. But Clayface howled in horror as the water saturated his body and he began to melt.

"Quickly now!" Darknight urged. He led Ri to Clayface and began scooping away large portions of Hagen's body and letting them melt even faster. Ri followed his example and together they ripped away half of Clayface's torso. The entire globular mess was getting down into the drains scattered everywhere.

Clayface moaned as Darknight and Ri tore the rest of him apart and dismembered him. Almost every trace was washed from the floors and from the JLers before the fire system detected the blaze had been extinguished for twenty minutes and didn't seem likely to rear up again. Kicking open the locked door they'd entered through, the couple set out to find out if their comrades were in peril as well.

* * *

The history of the criminals known as the Reverse Flash was as tangled as it was murderous. The first Reverse Flash was Edward Clariss. Clariss had duplicated Jay Garrick's chemical formula that had transformed Jay into the original Flash. Clariss called himself Rival, _a_ Reverse Flash. And because of the natures of Limbo and the Speed Force, both men had survived nearly in middle age from their first encounters in the Thirties to the modern era where they continued their ageless struggle.

The second Reverse Flash was one Hunter Zoloman, or Professor Zoom. Hunter had been born in the 29th Century and obsessed over his childhood hero, the Flash. His obsession carried him to the point he wanted to replace Barry Allen as the Flash. Hunter seemingly killed Iris West but he'd secretly transported her to the future instead where he intended to claim her as his own. Barry managed to transport himself to the 29th Century shortly before his own death repairing the timeline. Iris had conceived in the few months she'd been intimate with Barry and the Allen line continued in the future.

And the Allens developed a rivalry with the Thawne clan. No one knew just how unstable the Thawne's had become until Eobed Thawne recreated the accident granting Barry Allen and Wally West the power to tap into the Speed Force. Thawne recreated the procedure on a youth who called himself Kid Zoom. But once in the 21st Century, Kid Zoom went his own way and changed his moniker to Inertia and enlisted with Nyssa al Ghul's Injustice Titans.

Thawne killed Professor Zoom and assumed the mantle of Reverse Flash as his very own. His particular obsession was to kill _every_ other speedster. Wally West, Jay Garrick, Rival, Jesse Quick, Max Mercury, Kid Flash, and Inertia were all targets. Once they were all dead, Reverse Flash would be the _only_ Flash and he would see that history was rewritten portraying him as the only speedster to have ever existed.

Reverse Flash had only accepted this assignment because Saturn Queen, Lightning Lord, and Cosmic King were also from the 31st Century and he knew them by reputation. They weren't sentients that one crossed and expected to live. And they had access to Time Bubbles that Reverse Flash could utilize to kill off his rivals during their childhoods.

Reverse Flash felt Katana was beneath his talents. And as he made two high speed passes by her and striking her, he knew it to be true. But Katana's confidence never wavered and that annoyed Thawne. As he returned to finish her off, she either blocked his blows or evaded them altogether. Now Reverse Flash began to fret.

Katana drew the SoulTaker from its sheath and stood poised to repel an attack from any side. Reverse Flash tried coming in behind her but she slashed his leg. Several more attempts ended the same way. Finding himself effectively hobbled by the wounds, he limped away. But Katana pursued and when she caught him, she ran her sword through the Reverse Flash.

"There will be no escape for you this time," Katana promised Thawne.

Before he sank into oblivion, Darknight and Ri caught up with Katana. All Reverse Flash could marvel at was the preoccupation Asian heroes had with swords.

* * *

Batwoman and Nemesis worked together to clear the engineering department's building. Batwoman would inspect the first three floors and Nemesis would check on the upper three floors. Batwoman cleared the first two floors but on the third, Catman pounced at her. Batwoman quickly fought him off. A round kick to his head followed by two jabs and a left cross had him temporarily reeling.

Copperhead slithered up from behind and wrapped around Batwoman's waist and chest. Constricting, he laughed as she futilely tried to push him away and get free. Finally, she aimed her left hand at him. Tipping it up, she worked hidden controls in her gauntlet and a spray nozzle detached from her left wrist. Aiming at Copperhead's eyes she sprayed him full of CURB.

CURB was ten times more potent than pepper spray or mace. It was so powerful, it could kill if ingested. Only the military had legal access to it in the United States. Batwoman had been eminently pleased when ARGUS supplied her with some.

Copperhead screamed in agony and slithered away, blindly trying to make his way to a restroom or eye washing station. Catman didn't know whether to feel threatened or amused. But he chose threatened in the end.

"You're one of those Bat bimbos that tried to kill me in Chicago," Catman recalled.

"This time there won't be any Firestorms interfering," Batwoman promised.

Catman grunted as he lunged at Batwoman. The claws mounted on the back of his gloves extended out several inches and then curved like a cat's. He parried and swiped at her as she used two batarangs to block the claws from striking her. And she began using her knees and legs to kick and strike him while he tried to attack.

Batwoman unexpectedly retreated and threw one of the batarangs at Catman's head. It connected and he was momentarily dazed. Realizing she was coming straight at him, he threw a swipe with his right hand. She caught his arm, pulled him towards her, and swept his legs out from underneath him.

As he fell, she maintained control of his arm. Hyperextending his elbow, she slapped a wrist lock on him. Catman whimpered.

"I'm going to make you pay one piece at a time," Batwoman vowed.

"What were you?" Catman asked in anguish, "Her lezbo lover?"

Batwoman broke his wrist, "That's one. There's plenty more to go through before we're done."

"I… _argh_!" Batwoman broke his elbow and then released him. Catman warily got up…and tried to run away.

Her grapple gun snagged his leg and she dragged him back, "Not so fast or easy."

Catman realized he was literally fighting for his life. Using his good arm, he came at Batwoman again. She used jabs and knee strikes to distract him, and then stomped into his knee when he locked it. It broke with a loud _crack_!

Batwoman put him face first into the wall as he sank to his knees. Her knee hit his head into the wall until it had created a hole in both the sheet rock and fire wall behind it. Batwoman stopped before he could pass out.

"I know Sonia didn't beg for her life but I'd be interested in hearing what you have to say. Just to prove she was more man than you'll ever be," Batwoman growled.

"I wouldn't give you the satisfaction," Catman was defiant at last, "Go on! Do it already!"

"You actually sound eager," Batwoman realized, "Could you be trying to avoid prison?"

"I'm not going back there," Catman grated, "You want to kill me. Do it now!"

"No," Batwoman decided, "Because you want me to I won't. I'd rather you live a long time as someone's bitch."

"Waitaminute!" Catman protested.

She jerked his hands behind him and handcuffed his wrists. Then she cuffed his ankles, "See you around."

"Let's talk about this!" he finally pleaded as she reentered the stairwell and went to find out what was keeping Nemesis.

Catman couldn't believe his dumb luck. He'd actually her out of killing him by wanting her too. And he honestly preferred that option over prison.

And then explosions ripped through the building and Catman was left helpless as the upper floors began to collapse and he wondered just what the hell Plastique thought she was doing.

* * *

It wasn't until Nemesis reached the uppermost floor that he encountered any opposition. And when he did, it just had to be Plastique. He was the reason Bette San Souci had been in Belle Reeve Prison to be recruited for Task Force X's inaugural CADMUS mission.

Once upon a time, Nemesis had been a Spyral agent. And when the Canadian government requested the UN's help in tracking down and capturing Quebec separatists, Nemesis had been specifically selected by Agent Zero, back before it was discovered he was secretly Dr. Dadelus.

Nemesis had gone deep undercover, including helping plan and carry out terrorist attacks, but he hadn't counted on Bette. To that very day, he'd never known if he'd seduced her or she'd seduced him. Maybe it had been a mutual seduction, but that hadn't mattered when Spyral gave the word they were coming in after the separatist cell Nemesis had infiltrated. And they were coming in hard with orders to terminate rather than apprehend.

Nemesis broke cover and placed the cell under arrest. He negotiated with the Canadian authorities for their lives. Eventually Plastique and several leaders were sent to trial in the US rather than become martyrs on their native soil. But Waller couldn't leave well enough alone and traded Plastique's freedom in exchange for infiltrating the Watchtower space station.

Afterwards, bereft of home, cause, and comrades, Plastique had proven to be a willing recruit to Luthor's Legion of Doom. But from the footage Nemesis had seen, Plastique's heart just wasn't in the mayhem making business anymore. That was, until she spotted him at the end of the hallway.

"I heard you had joined the Justice League but I never thought you would be so bold, or so idiotic, to cross my path again," Plastique's French accented English had softened with her years away from Quebec.

"This doesn't have to become a fight," Nemesis promised her, "You can walk away and I'll never report you're being here."

"You'd let me?" Plastique said scornfully, "Just like that? As if you had the power to change my life again? If I leave it is because I choose to."

He'd forgotten how fiercely independent Bette was. It was one of the reasons it had been a challenge getting her to open up to him. And doing so had been its own greatest reward.

"Bette, it doesn't have to be this way," Nemesis fervently wished.

"Really?" she asked scornfully, "Can I go home again? Can I live in a free Quebec? Can I ever stop running from bastards with badges and so-called authority? All because of you!"

"You were killing people!" Nemesis shouted back at her.

"It was the only way to get people to listen to our pleas," Plastique argued the old argument again, "How do things get changed? Through force! They may talk it through in the end but only because the gun and the bomb are aimed at their heads."

Nemesis knew he'd have a hard time arguing that shred of political science. After all, what were the Justice Leagues but concentrated force to accomplish an accepted good?

"Well?" Plastique was annoyed by his lingering silence, "No pretty lies to assuage my soul?"

"I know I hurt you," Nemesis slowly stated, "You wanted to die for your cause and I prevented that. But I couldn't face a tomorrow without you in it."

"So how have you faced the last seven years?" Plastique spat.

"I at least knew you were alive," Nemesis confessed, "I poured over reports to make certain of it. And I knew that this day, if it ever happened, wouldn't go well. But we may not be able to win but we can both walk away from this alive."

"I don't to live anymore," Plastique confessed and it broke Nemesis' heart.

"If you want to kill me, do it. But don't take your own life in the equation," Nemesis offered.

"You honestly do care," Plastique realized.

"I've always cared," Nemesis shared, "Even when I destroyed the life you led in order to preserve the life you could have."

"What life is this?" Plastique snorted.

"I can get you back into Canada and even into Quebec. I have friends in all the right places to create a new life for you," Nemesis revealed, "They all owe me favors you can't imagine so it would be off the books and completely yours to do with what you wanted to with no one watching over you or interfering."

"How could you do this?" Plastique wondered, giving it serious consideration.

"First, we have to leave Coast City and get down to Los Angeles. From there I can contact my network of associates and they will provide everything you specify desiring. In three weeks time, everything would be arranged and we'd just have to cross the border. Once you're plugged in and settled, I stay or go as you deem fit," Nemeses described the plan.

"Will they look for us if you go missing?" Plastique wondered.

"ARGUS would probably mount a manhunt," Nemesis admitted, "But it's my profession to avoid those."

"What if they thought you were already dead?" Plastique wanted to know, "And me as well?"

"Then we'd have all the time in the world," Nemesis grinned.

Plastique had forgotten how infectious his smile was, "As you say, when I am settled I'll decide our future. Meanwhile, plant these charges as I deem fit."

She began removing disc-like explosives from her uniform, "And be precise or we'll bring the entire building down."

She described her pattern to him and they split and laced the walls with remote activated bombs.

* * *

Batwoman felt the first explosion rip through the uppermost stair as she reached the fourth floor landing. The roof collapsed and drove the sixth floor into the fifth. Debris from the impact perforated into the fourth and third floors. Batwoman pushed rubble off of her and knew she was going to be a massive network of bruises in a few hours. And she knew she had to check on Catman and Copperhead. Nemesis and his foe were already dead and unrecoverable.

But unknown to her, Nemesis and Plastique had already cleared the building before detonating the bombs. Now they were making their way across the Ferris Aircraft campus to reach the fence line. And from there they'd use a stolen federal vehicle to get into the city proper where they could steal a civilian car to exchange again in LA.

* * *

Galatea spotted Doomsday from a distance and so Power Girl swooped in on him and hit him as hard as she could. That staggered the failed Kryptonian clone. While he recovered, Power Girl landed a right cross and then a knee to his jaw. As he recovered, she used a right-left cross combo to send him reeling again.

Doomsday roared his displeasure which only spurred Galatea onward. Her next attack was a backspin kick that threatened to tear his head off. But at that point Doomsday was done with simply absorbing punishment.

Doomsday's first retaliatory blow knocked Power Girl through a steel reinforced concrete wall surrounding the large aircraft assembly area. Power Girl studied the building's support structure and decided on how to deal with Doomsday. But then it felt like fire ripped throughout her body and she began to feel ill and weakened all at the same time.

And judging by Doomsday's weaving and stumbling about, it was affecting him as well. A voice spoke from behind PG, "Well just don't stand there, you stupid oaf. Get outside, out of range and behind the concrete to shelter you while I kill her."

Galatea recognized Metallo's voice and as he came beside her, she could see his chest aperture was wide open and his kryptonite power source was emitting a lethal dose of radiation. At least it was lethal to her and Doomsday. It would also affect Superman and her sister, Kara.

"I've been looking forward to this ever since you betrayed the Legion and joined the idiotically pathetic Global Guardians. And then you had the gall to join the Justice League. You! Joining with your mortal enemies," Metallo seemed incredulous, "Why would you do that?"

"At least they're not a band of sociopathic psychotics," Power Girl grated through clenched teeth.

"There has to be more to it than that," Metallo reasoned.

"My father was afraid of me," Galatea confessed, "He'd never been afraid of me until I joined the Legion. I couldn't live with that."

"Boo hoo!" Metallo sneered, "Daddy got upset. You should have simply killed him and got it over with quick."

"Remember what I sad about psychotics?" Power Girl wondered, "You just made my case."

She leapt into the air and had enough wherewithal to flip over his head. Metallo's lead lined metal chassis began to shield her and her strength began to immediately return. But it was still difficult yanking a support beam free.

Using the girder, she smacked Metallo's back before he could fully turn and face her. The clamps fastening the kryptonite rock in his chest couldn't hold on and it popped free. The nutrient tank encasing Metallo's brain didn't need the kryptonite to function but every other system in the robotic shell did. He shut down and toppled over.

Power Girl quickly dragged her girder away from the loose kryptonite stone. Getting free of its affects, she began to hurry. Doomsday's enhanced hearing had to have heard the commotion and even that unimaginative brute would investigate sooner than later. Using her heat vision, Galatea sheared off the girder's tip at an angle. Then using her hands to sculpt the molten metal, she created an edge that she then sharpened with her heat vision and her fingers.

As if on cue, Doomsday spotted her through the very hole he'd knocked her through. He began stomping her way and then clutched at himself. He spotted the loose kryptonite too late to beat a hasty retreat.

Power Girl threw the girder like javelin and it when completely through Doomsday's chest and imbedded there. He collapsed and Power Girl used her X-Ray vision to examine the wound. She'd speared his heart and it was torn to literal shreds. And with the steel girder planted within him, and the kryptonite radiation pouring over him, Doomsday wasn't regenerating this time.

Power Girl made her own exit and went airborne to see what had transpired while she'd been ambushed. Seeing others in trouble she began to prioritize a response.

* * *

"I can't believe you never mentioned being married," Crimson Fox bitterly complained.

Animal Man turned on her, "Let's cut the crap, okay? You're just mad and turned on because your pheromonal love potion jungle juice doesn't work on me. And that's true of your twin sister as well."

"What did you say?" Crimson Fox gasped.

"Your identical twin sister, the one you used to swap wearing the costume back and forth with," Animal Man stated flatly, "That was in the old JLU days. Since you joined the JLA, she hasn't made an appearance. I'm guessing she's more of a French patriot than you are and objected to joining an American team. And it would explain why she isn't as fluent in English."

"How long have you known?" Crimson Fox whispered.

"Almost as soon as I caught the difference in scent every time I worked with 'you'," Animal Man confessed, "I kept it to myself in the JLU days because the organization was pretty loosely run. But the JLA is a completely different 'animal' and the missions we go on are even more risky. It seemed right that Waller and Trevor know the truth."

"And?" Crimson Fox dreaded his answer.

"They already knew," Animal Man almost laughed, "This is what they do and they're damn good at it. Waller also knew your sister retired rather than have two Crimson Foxes be spotted running around France and the US at the same time. What no one knows is why you signed up for an American sponsored Justice League."

"They need to pay," Crimson Fox said with venom lacing her voice.

"Okay, who are the nebulous 'them'?" Animal wondered.

"The Legion of Doom. Before Waller asked me to join the JLA I'd already tired of Superman's tactics that played catch and release with the Legion. We'd stop them, taking horrific losses along the way, we'd incarcerate them and they might spend six months in prison before escaping or being liberated to come back at the world in order to terrorize it," Crimson Fox answered, "And in the JLA I could do more about it than prowling about Paris."

"Then we have something in common," Animal Man shared.

An explosion ripped up the concrete next to them. Spotting a caped figure on a neighboring roof, they sprinted closer to the building where the villain couldn't get a straight shot at them. Crimson Fox got an odd look.

"Did your wife ever get used to this life?" she asked.

"Hell, she barely tolerated me being a Hollywood stuntman," Animal Man admitted, "But when she finally got kidnapped to get at me, it was the last straw. She threw me out and moved my so-called best friend in. Since then I've been waiting for divorce papers but she won't file."

"Why? It's what she wants," Crimson Fox didn't understand either.

"Because whoever files has to pay court costs," Animal Man said bitterly.

"So…because you're still married you won't…?" Crimson Fox asked.

"No," Animal Man was still trying to spot where their foe had gone.

"I admire that," Crimson Fox shared, "You should file the damn papers yourself but I admire your self control."

"I'm glad you approve. It's a pain in my ass," Animal Man spotted a cape furl over the roof's edge; "We need to move."

"Why haven't you filed?" Crimson Fox wouldn't let it go, "Do you still love her and you don't want it to end?"

"I'll happy to end it as soon as I get a day off," Animal Man complained.

Another power beam tore through the concrete before them. An electromagnetic signal that coalesced into Blackrock stood before them, "No more running, I'm afraid."

He saw them both tense up, "Ah, ah, as cozy as you two look I can still blast you before you twitch."

"So why don't you?" Crimson Fox inquired.

Animal Man wondered what the hell it was with her and the questions today. Blackrock obliged her anyway, "Because I'm not murderer. I'd rather hold you here in an electrostatic shield and leave the brutality to my more bloodthirsty comrades. Although, I'm told the mission commander doesn't mind a few fatalities."

"Who is the mission commander?" This time Animal Man approved of Crimson Fox's question.

"I don't know and I'm being paid enough not to care," Blackrock answered, "So we'll make do with the situation."

He cried out and stumbled forward. He was unconscious before Animal Man caught him. Crimson Fox looked towards Power Girl as Galatea lifted the power stone off the ground.

"Well, that was…anticlimactic," Crimson Fox decided.

"You want excitement?" PG asked, "Col. Trevor's group is headed straight into some kind of ambush. The Scarecrow has been prepping bodies for God knows what."

"Something to that rock?" Animal Man asked.

"It's actually a rather advanced piece of alien technology despite its simple appearances," Power Girl assessed.

"And you've seen your share of alien tech?" Animal Man was dubious.

"I grew up in STAR Labs and my dad is Emil Hamilton. You figure it out," Power Girl tossed the stone to him; "I need to run. Other people need help too."

"Others?" Crimson Fox asked.

"Hawkman is on the menu so I need to hurry," Power Girl streaked off.

"Eaten?" Crimson Fox asked Animal Man.

"Who knows?" he sighed.

* * *

Queen Bee was an exceptionally gifted flyer. She could instantly stop and shift into any direction without changing where she was facing. That was something Troia envied her for.

Zazzala had also augmented her weaponry. Besides her techno-virus dealing wand, she now wore wrist "stinger" blasters. Donna Troy's Amazon bracelets could stop the nanites from the techno-virus wand from infecting her but the bioelectric stings from the wrist blasters were conducted by the bracelets rather than deflected.

If the nanites ever infused Troia's cells she would become a warrior bee in Queen Bee's cause just as any male would become a breeding drone. All of which annoyed Troia. And most of all, she was irritated by the fact Zazzala's multifaceted eyes seemed to track her wherever she went.

* * *

Man Bat never saw Power Girl hit him. The already heavily injured Man Bat added a broken jaw to his list of injuries. Hawkman was already rousing.

"Thanks. I was getting around to that," Carter told her.

"Never mind, Donna needs your help," Power Girl alerted him.

"Where is she?" he was almost frantic.

Power Girl gave him directions and he was still slipping on his helmet as he took flight. A hundred yards out he unclipped his mace from his belt and threw a few test swings. And he flew like his life deepened on it.

"I guess that answers that question," Power Girl brightly mused.

* * *

Troia barely spotted Hawkman's approaching dive but she managed to before Queen Bee did. Distracting Queen Bee, Troia kept Zazzala blindsided as Carter hit her full force with his mace. Queen been was dazed as she lay on the concrete.

Hawkman landed on Queen Bee's wrist blasters, "Are you okay?"

"Are you?" Troia retorted.

"Galatea did the same service for me so there's no need to feel insulted," Hawkman insisted.

"I wasn't insulted until you implied that I should be," Troia shot at him. She reached down and snapped the virus wand in half, "Okay, thanks. I needed the help after all."

"I'm just glad to get here in time," Hawkman blurted.

"Really? Why?" Donna asked innocently.

"Oh _grife_ , just kill me now," Queen Bee's head thunked back onto the concrete.

"I think that's a discussion for later," Hawkman said hastily.

Troia groaned, "Why do men invariably say that?"

"Because it's usually true!" he insisted.

"It's an excuse not to talk at all," Troia fumed.

" _Ahem_ ," Power Girl floated nearby, "Can we argue later and deal with the prisoner _now_?"

"See?" Hawkman threw at Troia.

"That's not what she means," Troia angrily replied, "And you are so going to rue the day you said that."

"Just get on with it!" Queen Bee screamed at the top of her lungs, "He loves you. She loves you back. Now go elsewhere and breed. But for _fren's_ sake, leave the rest of us in peace."

Hawkman and Troia both turned bright scarlet. Which totally belied their images as bad ass warriors. Power Girl barely quelled her laughter.

"You have this?" Hawkman nodded towards Queen Bee as he turned to Power Girl.

"Go," PG scooped up Zazzala by her tunic and her eyes began to glow red, "Don't even think about it."

Carter clipped his mace onto his belt beside his sword. Next he removed his helmet and tucked it under one arm. Using his free hand, he swept Troia into his arm and kissed her with a long neglected passion.

It didn't take long for Donna to enthusiastically reciprocate with equal fervor. But Galatea interrupted the moment, "Propose later. We still have a mission on."

The developing couple detached from one another, eyes still locked on one another until Carter put his helmet back on, "We're still having that discussion later."

"Okay, whenever," Troia said giddily.

" _Now_ you agree with me all of a sudden?" Hawkman was dumbfounded.

"Uh-huh," Troia said dreamily.

"Were you like this with Blackhawk?" Hawkman asked Power Girl.

"Still am on occasion," she confessed.

Hawkman stripped Queen Bee of her stinger weapons and smashed them with his mace. Power Girl bound Zazzala's wings with her own arms and locked them into place with her handcuffs. Troia was confused.

"Didn't you face any opposition?" she asked PG.

"Of course I did," Galatea confirmed it.

"The why did you still have both pairs of handcuffs?" Donna asked.

"Because they wouldn't work on either Metallo or Doomsday," Power Girl said as though it were the most reasonable thing in the world, "Now follow me."

Troia glanced towards Hawkman, "She faced both of them?"

"She obviously doesn't want to talk about it," his beating wings lifted him into the air.

"Yeah, but they regularly almost kill Superman," Troia reminded him.

"But Tea as a range of options Superman won't use," Hawkman stated.

"Oh, yeah," Donna said dismally.

* * *

"What are you anyway?" Spencer Hawk wanted to know, "Some lame ass _Red_ Lantern?"

"I'm yer worst nightmare, punk," Guy Gardner promised him.

"Bring it, you sorry sack of shit," Spencer was angered by Guy's flippancy. Ever since Luthor had brought him across dimensions to this Earth he'd been mocked and derided. And Spencer's universe didn't even exist now so there was no going back. But there were fifty-one other universes besides this one in the multiverse. He could make do.

"Ready ta rumble, poser?" Guy's ring emitted a red swathe of destruction and brought an entire building down.

"Damn!" Spencer exclaimed, "What if someone had been in there? I thought you were the marvelous hero."

"Shaddup!" Guy snarled as he created a red dragon construct.

Spencer reacted by creating three things. First was his sword construct. The second was a shield to go with the sword. And the third was a suit of armor to reinforce his personal force field. As Spencer attacked the beast he didn't realize it was replica of a Keyt dragon from Hyperion III. And it was just a distraction.

Guy flew in from under the dragon and into Spencer's embrace. Locking hold of Spencer's shoulders, he vomited acid blood all over Spencer's constructs. Spencer used his foot to push Guy away.

"Gaahd! That is so disgusting," Spencer was utterly revolted, "What the hell is wrong with you, man?"

"Nuthin'," Guy smirked, "But yer in a world of hurt now, ya pansy."

"What?" Spencer suddenly noticed his constructs were all melting and just the fizzing foam of the acid blood near his skin alone burned. He quickly shucked away the constructs, which only left his personal field as protection.

Guy vomited again all over Spencer's field and he had to expel it away from him. Which momentarily left him helpless. Guy capitalized on the error and grabbed hold of Spencer's wrist and spewed acid blood all over the renegade Green Lantern's ring hand.

Guy backpedalled in midair as Spencer screamed and tried whipping the blood away. His ring was utterly nonresponsive and suddenly he plummeted to the concrete fifty feet below. Dazed by the impact he slowly became aware of the pain lessening in his hand. Pushing off of the ground onto his knees he lifted his afflicted hand.

Only now his hand was nothing but bones and a scorched partially melted power ring. Even the ligaments tying the bones together were beginning to dissolve way leaving Spencer with nothing but a stump at the end of his wrist. Guy chose that moment to land in front of him.

"Got any wise ass cracks fer me?" Guy sneered.

"Just finish me," Spencer said despondently.

"Yer damn lucky I ain't yer usual Red Lantern. `Cause I'd simply kill ya, drain ya of yer blood, and feed it ta our central power battery so's we could make more power rings," Guy explained, "But I think I'll let ya live. Which'll probably be worse fer ya."

The Red Lantern flew off and Spencer Hawk vowed undying vengeance. He would have his justice and he knew just how to get a new power ring. Then Guy Gardner would scream and beg for mercy…and none would be forthcoming.

* * *

Dr. Polaris used his magnetic powers to throw everything in range at Isis. She used her elemental control to summon severe winds to swat those objects away. Then she started summoning down lightning strikes all around him but he used conductors to draw the bolts away.

Grabbing an aircraft fuselage he'd tossed at her, she hefted it over her head and threw it back towards him. He easily shredded it and flew the shards at her to impale her. Only…Isis wasn't there any longer.

He almost belatedly realized she was above him. Ripping rebar reinforcement poles from nearby walls, He built a cage frame around her body. But she noticed her groin was unsuitably unadorned compared to the rest of her.

He lowered and spiked the rebar into the ground. He began adjusting his belt, "I hear you married Black Adam. I'm willing to bet that pompous ass spends so much time preening in the mirror he doesn't satisfy you at all. I'll remedy that."

Isis swore she'd summon Shazam's lighting if Dr. Polaris began to touch her. Let his innards boil over from the mystic surge. But before Dr. Polaris could approach there was a loud _clang_ and he stumbled forward.

Isis noticed two things right away. First was that the back of Dr. Polaris' ridiculous helmet had a large dent in it. And second was that Troia held a piece of concrete that had broken free of the wall when the rebar was pulled from it and she had murder in her eyes.

"You...you dare?" Dr. Polaris was incensed.

"Not as much as you," Troia hurled the concrete chunk into his face. His helmet kept it from caving in his skull but his exposed face was still highly damaged.

Troia worked on him with fists until Isis calmed her frenzy, "Easy, child. I am unharmed."

"Bastard tried to rape me once upon a time," Troia said through tears, "I made the mistake of leaving him alive then."

"Would killing him now change anything?" Isis wondered.

"He wouldn't ever rape anyone again or even threaten them," Troia countered.

"He would do it again every time you remembered killing him or thought of his crimes and the desperate measure you took to stop him," Isis advised her, "Leave him with his shame. Rape is about power and lust. He's proven once again he has no power over women and his lust will be contained by his fellow prisoners."

Troia's hands were shaking but eventually they stopped, "You can be very persuasive when you want to be."

"Blame it on my patron goddess," Isis said before winking, "And my impossibly stubborn husband. Now, will you help me out of this infernal cage?"

Together, Troia and Isis made short work of Dr. Polaris' evil creation. Isis grew concerned, "How goes our master plan?"

"There's been a few kinks," Troia admitted, "Power Girl says Col. Trevor is wading into a trap and I think she killed Doomsday."

"Can he truly die?" Isis wondered.

"I don't know," Troia confided, "But if anyone can do it, it's Tea."

"Since Galatea is rarely wrong about things such as traps, let us depart and see what we can do for our comrades in arms," Isis suggested. But she too had qualms about an Argoan who was willing to use her nearly incomparable power to kill. But Tea had also been Black Adam's student in the ways of True Justice and her husband was also one known to kill when the crime warranted it.

* * *

Livewire streamed electricity at Black Canary and Speedy. The pair split up to present harder targets. Speedy quick drew a trick arrow and fired it over Livewire's head. The enlarged tip exploded and a net cast itself over the former shock jock.

"You're kidding, right?" Livewire asked disdainfully. Her electrical discharges created sparks off of a metal missile launcher. The sparks ignited the ropes and Livewire was able to slip free before being burned.

Speedy fired a second arrow at her and Livewire barely flinched. This time it was a stunner arrow and Livewire fed off of it, "Oh cupcake, gimme more!"

Speedy deliberately nocked a third arrow and took careful aim. Livewire blew her a kiss before Speedy fired. The ion arrow struck Livewire's forehead and disrupted her electrical powers and her adapted nervous system.

Livewire was barely standing when Black Canary applied the _coup de grace_ to knock Livewire out. Speedy boasted, "It's like Grandpa Ted always taught, fill them with overconfidence before you bring it from the floor."

Dinah Lance gave Mia Deardon a wry look and Speedy shrugged, "Yeah, I know he's only five years older than me now but he'll always be 'Grandpa Ted' to me."

Black Canary squeezed Speedy's hand. The girl had lost everything more than once yet she was always resilient and kept fighting. Even against her own HIV diagnosis.

And in three weeks, she'd be the richest eighteen year old in America and the youngest Chairperson of the Board as well. Dinah's role as her guardian would be officially over. But they'd still be family.

* * *

Black Adam couldn't recall how he'd gotten into such a ludicrous position. Bizarro had him in a full Nelson and was trying to break his neck. And Atomic Skull was blasting away at him with enough radiation to test his invulnerability.

Suddenly Bizarro released his grip. Black Adam looked to the sky to see Power Girl dragging the distorted clone off into space. Atomic Skull looked totally unnerved.

"Aw crap," was all he had time to say before Black Adam put him down.

Black Adam waited but Power Girl didn't return. He lingered a while longer, torn between checking on his wife and learning the fate of his prized would-be daughter. Finally, Black Adam's relief was manifest as PG landed in front of him.

"Remember Guy and Ralph saying they'd encountered an unknown Bizarro clone? And Guy tersely saying he'd 'desalt with it'?" Power Girl inquired, "I found the clone on the dark side of the moon where I dropped the actual Bizarro off at. And there's some kind of fortification built miles away. Something I think we should all be aware of."

"How is Isis?" Black Adam asked knowing Galatea could easily tell him.

She used her X-Ray vision and swept the campus, "She's fine but I think she and Donna need a moment to resolve a personal crisis."

"Very well," Black Adam huffed, "One minute."

Power Girl rolled her eyes.

* * *

It took Vigilante three shots to knock Cheetah out. He tipped back his ten-gallon hat, "Ah'll be hornswoggled. Ah kin't believe it took three hyperkinetic rounds ta put that kitten ta bed."

"She may have been even tougher if she hadn't been afraid I'd rip her throat out if she attacked you," Vixen purred.

"Well, there wus that too," Vigilante's ego bubble burst.

"Take off that bandito mask and thank me properly," Vixen demanded.

"Why ma'am, ya'll make me blush," Vig tugged his mask off of his nose and mouth.

"No, you won't. You're a shameless slut when you're in love," Vixen countered.

"So, ya'll think Ah'm in love?" Vigilante had to ask.

"I _know_ it to be a fact, Cowboy," Vixen wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, "Now c'mere you."

Their kiss lasted until they heard beating wings. Vixen looked annoyed, "You're a horrible mood killer, Carter."

"Are we done yet?" he asked in reply.

"You're just jealous," Vixen accused.

He didn't deny it, "Power Girl spotted that the Colonel is leading his team into a trap. We're rallying the troops to help."

"We're already movin' out," Vigilante promised as he affixed his mask with one hand and pulled Vixen by the hand with the other.

* * *

Azrael could feel Bane's strength waning. So the Venom metabolized out of the system as quickly as it did entering the system. He needed a distraction and he could free himself. And then Katana led Darknight and Ri into the area.

"Stand down," Darknight commanded.

"Or what, _hombre_?" Bane inquired.

But he'd shifted his weight to look over his shoulder. Azrael pulled his knees up and shoved with his arms as he pushed out with his legs. Bane's stance was broken and he stumbled backwards.

"Will you interfere?" Bane asked Katana, the only one he feared out of the group.

"No," Katana pledged.

Azrael ignited his blades again and went on the offensive. Now he knew exactly how fast Bane could be and wasn't any longer. His attacks were expertly placed and Bane was quickly hamstrung with most of his major ligaments having been severed. Bane collapsed on the ground and lay groaning.

"Are you done yet?" Katana asked Azrael.

"For now," Azrael pledged.

"Good, we are rendezvousing with our team at the main administration building. There has been no communication from Col. Trevor or his team. The worst may have befallen them," Katana explained.

"Then we should hurry," Azrael agreed.

* * *

Trevor's team came upon the admin building with no interference. But upon arrival, they found the entire security force rousing from slumber. Each of them had a device attached to their wrist.

"Question, I need an opinion on what that is," Trevor ordered.

"It appears to be a Venom injector similar to Bane's," Question noted.

"But there's no hose attached to the base of their skulls," Huntress protested.

"What's in the vials?" Bat-Girl wondered.

"And excellent query," Question went to remove the vial from an injector and suddenly it activated. The entire vial drained into the wearer in seconds, "It seems to be inserted into the veins of the wrist."

Suddenly every man and woman wearing an injector began to swell as their muscles expanded. Clothing was ripped and torn as its wearers grew too large for it. Trevor and his team backed away from the security force. One guard followed Starling and Bat-Girl.

"Hey honies, just gimme some sugar and we'll be cool," he leered at them, "You won't say 'no' after I'm balls deep inside of you."

"I'm saying 'no' right now," Starling grated as he lifted her rifle and took aim.

"No, you're not!" he yelled and lunged at them.

Starling put two bullets in his chest and one in his forehead. The other security guards grew even more agitated. Trevor was worried.

"Shit, Eve. What have you done?" he asked.

"He wasn't afraid," Starling reported, "There wasn't an ounce of natural, instinctual human fear in him. He was just going to keep coming until he got what he wanted."

"None of them do," Bat-Girl observed as the Chief of Security waved his frenzied cohorts on to attack the JLA.

"Oh crap," Trevor grimaced.


	5. Chapter 5

19

At the Teen Titan's Compound in San Francisco, Wonder Girl continued her battle against Elephant Man. And the bastard just kept coming at her no matter what she did or tried. She just knew her half-sister Diana would have trounced him by now.

The Amazonian princess would've had him tied up with his own trunk and mewing like a kitten by that point. Diana had been insisting that Cassie Sandsmark visit the Amazons on Themiscyra for some basic combat training. At this point Wonder Girl was ready to relent. That was assuming she could finally hand Elephant Man his own ass.

And then Superboy flew in to assist her. Her heart skipped a beat as Superboy slammed into Elephant Man and drove him into the compound's outer perimeter wall. Using his tactile telekinesis, Superboy buried Elephant Man under piles of bricks, and then using courtyard pavers, he reinforced the rubble pile.

"Are you okay?" Superboy asked with such desperate concern it caused Cassie's heart to skip another beat.

And then Elephant Man rose from the piles of bricks and pavers. He spotted Superboy standing beside Wonder Girl and commented, "Gad! You're breeding pinheads around here. Or are the pinheads merely breeding?"

Both Wonder Girl and Superboy blushed crimson. Elephant Man chuckled, "That's what I thought."

"You should talk about pinheads, tusker!" Superboy angrily retorted.

Cassie instantly knew it was exactly the wrong thing to say. Elephant Man tackled Superboy before either he or she could react. Beating on the Kryptonian-human hybrid clone, Elephant Man hardly reacted when Cassie's Lasso of Thunder looped around him. As before, the channeled thunderbolts barely registered with Elephant Man.

But he did get annoyed with being bound. He turned his head and his trunk lashed out and clubbed her upside the head. But Wonder Girl hung on and dragged Elephant Man off of Superboy in a display of brute force.

"Thanks, Cass," Superboy wiped the blood from his nose.

Elephant Man grabbed Wonder Girl as she lifted the lasso off of him. He held her by the arms and put her between himself and Superboy. Superboy's mood quickly escalated from annoyed to enraged.

"A hostage? That's low even for Brotherhood scum," Superboy practically spat, "You think that'll stop me?"

Elephant Man's trunk wrapped around Wonder Girl's neck, "It'd better Sport-o. Otherwise I crush her neck."

Cassie's eyes flashed a "no surrender" message to Superboy so he shrugged, "Do it. I'll just pound you into a smear on the sidewalk."

"You're bluffing," Elephant Man challenged him.

"Try me and find out," Superboy challenged him right back.

"Okay, I will," Wonder Girl's eyes bulged as Elephant Man began to constrict her throat.

Superboy touched the fence and bricks flew from it at Elephant Man's head. The distraction allowed Wonder Girl to break free of his grip and smash an elbow into his gut. As his trunk loosened, Wonder Girl rocked him with a right cross.

Superboy was already at her side pulling Elephant Man's trunk away from her, "Lasso his feet!"

She instantly did so but wondered why. It was obvious Zeus' thunderbolts, as channeled through her lasso, didn't affect Elephant Man. Superboy clued her in.

"Lift him off of the ground," he instructed.

She flew into the air and dangled Elephant Man before Superboy. Superboy then engaged in a vigorous workout with his brand new punching bag. He eventually knocked Elephant Man out.

Squatting, Superboy touched the courtyard and a man sized hole opened up, "Okay, drop him."

Cassie was more than happy to. Superboy buried Elephant Man up too his head in dirt, pavers, and bricks. Wonder Girl sagged with relief after alighting next to Superboy.

"Thank Hera, that's over," Wonder Girl still found it odd to realize Hera was her stepmother, "Thanks for the rescue."

"It wasn't a rescue per se," Superboy was suddenly self-conscious, "More of a 'hurry things up' session. You had him."

"Thanks, but your confidence might be a little misplaced. I tried everything I knew and thought of against him and he just kept coming," Cassie shared, "But I appreciate the thought… What do I even call you? You and Red Robin have been so damn mysterious when it comes to your true identities."

Superboy looked mortified, "Sorry. I didn't mean to seem mysterious. It's just…the scientists at the lab that cooked me up in a vat never gave me a name besides 'Superboy'. I guess they didn't consider me enough of a person to bother."

"Oh," Cassie's eyes went wide, "I'm so sorry."

"I was thinking…maybe you could help me pick one out?" the normally brash Superboy shyly asked.

"Me?" Wonder Girl squeaked.

"Yeah…I trust you. And I think you'd be able to help me find a cool name," Superboy looked so vulnerable it almost broke Cassie's heart, "It doesn't have to be right now."

"What about Conner?" she suddenly blurted. Which had been her secret name for him.

"Conner?" he asked.

"Um…yeah," now she was embarrassed as she explained the origin of that suggestion.

"Okay," he grinned, "I like it."

"You do?" Cassie was mildly surprised.

"Of course I do," he assured her, "It's just cool you were thinking about me."

They just stared at each other in silence for a minute. Wonder Girl suddenly broke into a nervous smile, "Awkward."

"Um…yeah. You said it," Superboy shifted his feet nervously.

"You really could have asked anyone to help you," Wonder Girl tried to ease the tension.

"I didn't want just anyone's help," Superboy said earnestly, "I just wanted yours."

Another lapse in conversation ensued. Cassie groaned, "God, these pauses are gonna kill me."

She threw her arms around Conner's neck and awkwardly kissed him. But as the kiss became kisses, and Superboy fervently reciprocated, they began to work things out and develop a natural rhythm. It took the sound of gunfire to break them apart.

Wonder Girl shyly asked, "First kiss?"

"Yeah," he said a little dreamily, "You too?"

"Yep, definitely my first," Wonder Girl suddenly smirked, "But I could make it a habit."

The sound of walls buckling caught their attention. Superboy was rueful, "Bad guys. Why do there always have to be bad guys hanging around?"

"We have special gifts from our unique births and upbringings," Wonder Girl shrugged, "Bad guys are the price for those, I guess."

"You're smarter about that than I am, then. I just want to kick the crap out of them for ruining the moment," Superboy confessed.

"There's that too," Wonder Girl said sagely.

* * *

Shimmer stood over the unconscious Kid Flash. She considered creating a titanium coffin for him. But the little puke would probably just get away. She then wanted to create an ammonia cloud over and around him but her needing to be in proximity prevented her from doing so.

"Reverse Flash would pay me handsomely for me to hand you over to him," Shimmer hypothesized, "Maybe that would solve my little problem."

A red lasso suddenly looped around her. Zeus' thunderbolts jolted her unconscious and Wonder Girl unwrapped Shimmer. Nudging Bart, she sighed when she didn't get a response.

"You always were trying to get Bette and I's attention," Cassie invoked Flamebird's memory as she gazed off to watch Superboy in action again.

* * *

Mammoth continued to press in on Fairchild. Fairchild had Wonder Girl's demigoddess caliber strength but she was also a brilliant geneticist and researcher. She'd devoted her life to science while her father, Alex Fairchild, had devoted his career to safeguarding the United States. The senior Fairchild's star ascended to Team 7…and ended there on one of the unit's all too secretive missions.

Fairchild had grieved her father without knowing how he'd died…or even where or when. Lynch, Alex Fairchild's boss, created a secret arctic base called NOWHERE and instituted a top level meta-gene research program known as the Ravager Initiative. Fairchild was brought in to conduct clinical trials on activating gen factors and harnessing the meta–gene in those it hadn't manifested yet.

But when Fairchild accidently activated her own gen factor, one she hadn't even been tested for and therefore eluded the screenings; she began to see the darker side to NOWHERE. Lynch was intent on three goals. One was to destroy Basilisk, both the man called Regulus and the organization. Regulus had been a Team 7 member named Dean Higgins that Lynch had personally gen activated.

Second, and in order to accomplish the first, was to create a small army of gen factored soldiers. The Ravager program was intended to fill those ranks. The final goal was to capture the gen active former Team 7 member named Majestic. Majestic was classified as a Kryptonian-level threat named Bronson.

Covert investigating brought Fairchild to the knowledge that four more members of Team 7 had survived as well. Three were gen active. They were Slade Wilson, Cole Cash, and Dinah Drake Lance. Slade was known to the world as the premier mercenary called Deathstroke. Cole had become a con artist and revolutionary called Grifter. He was involved with something known as the Daemonite Resistance Underground. A secondary file under Grifter's revolved around someone code-named Voodoo.

Dinah was the easiest to track since she'd become Black Canary and joined the Justice League. Her mother had created the Black Canary identity and after her death Dinah had been raised by ex-heavyweight boxing champion, Ted Grant. Ted was infamously known as Wildcat amongst the Justice Society of America member rolls.

So Fairchild, while immensely powerful, was a poor hand to hand combatant. After Mammoth knocked her through another section of the compound's wall, the roof also began to collapse upon her. She waded out of the falling debris. Mammoth's right cross sent her to her knee but she came up with a punch of her own that knocked him back out into the courtyard.

Miss Martian awaited him there. Mammoth rubbed his jaw as he got to his feet, "Go away, Greenie. I'm not done with the Sheila here. Come back later when it's your turn."

"If you only knew how wrong you are," M'gann Morzz murmured.

Mammoth collapsed and was caught in a repeating fugue state. Fairchild reached him and looked wryly over at M'gann, "No offense but where were you five minutes ago?"

"Remember the scream you felt rather than heard?" Miss Martian asked.

"That was you?" Caitlin was alarmed.

"Hector Hammond actually," M'gann said nonchalantly.

"So why does Muscles here just rate a nap?" Fairchild asked, "It seems rather tame by comparison."

"Hammond wanted to destroy my mind," M'gann explained, "So I showed him a glimpse of what he'd be destroying if he did."

"And that resulted in a gut wrenching scream?" Fairchild didn't quite buy it.

"None of us have sanitized pasts, Caitlin. Least of all you," M'gann advised her.

"Remind me never to piss you off," Fairchild requested, "You get really scary."

"A little fear is a healthy thing," Miss Martian mused.

"And what are you afraid of?" Fairchild wondered.

"Only myself and what I am," M'gann confessed.

* * *

Bunker ran to Skitter's rescue. Gemini had her in a death grip. But her carapace had kept her from being squished…but she couldn't hold out for much longer. Bunker recreated his construct gauntlets and his punch nearly caved in Gemini's head.

She fell into a loose tangle of looped limbs. Skitter happily chattered away as she unentangled herself. Bunker maneuvered Skitter away from Gemini.

"Stay away from her. She's about to have a bad day," Bunker warned Skitter.

Creating a construct box around Gemini, he knocked on the walls, "Wake up, you psychotic bitch."

Gemini instantly lashed out in dozens of directions before transforming into Goldilocks, "Help! It's really me! I infiltrated the Brotherhood to help save you all."

"Sorry but it's a nice try," Bunker replied, "Goldilocks quit your sorry club and joined the Justice League Dark. I guess she didn't want to live a worthless life after all."

"I will slowly fillet you alive," Gemini promised as she reverted to her own appearance.

"Keep talking, Sugar Mouth. You'll just use up all the oxygen that much quicker," Bunker warned her.

Bunker began contracting the cube and Gemini began to panic as he did so. She struggled until she literally didn't have the breath to go on. After she passed out, he maintained the construct for several more minutes to be certain.

He dropped it and turned to Skitter, "All yours, babe."

Skitter webbed up Gemini head to foot. Then jabbed her with her stinger just for grins and giggles. Bunker shook his head.

"Couldn't resist, could you?" he asked, "Don't worry. I don't blame you at all."

* * *

Phobia had infected the milling crowd with her fear inducing mind control. That included the responding law enforcement officers. Red Hood was the only one seemingly immune to her power.

Jason Todd had been dead once upon a time after the Joker mistook him from being Batman's newest protégé. But the Dark Knight had rejected training Jason because his unyielding anger and impulse control issues. Batman feared if he trained Jason as a Robin he'd just be creating a more perfect killer.

But the Clown Prince of Crime still mistook him for a Bat acolyte. As did Ra's al Ghul when he collected Jason's corpse and used a Lazarus Pit to revive him. Despite Jason's lack of association with Batman, Ra's took him in and assigned him to his daughter Nyssa's League of Assassins training program.

Jason had joined Nyssa's Injustice League in an effort to avenge himself upon Batman. He'd done the same to the Joker by hijacking the Joker's original masked identity as the Red Hood. But Jason had broken faith with Nyssa.

Learning about NOWHERE and the Ravager program, he went north in order to usurp NOWHERE's goals as his own. Breaking free three of the most promising recruits, they went to New York City to join the Teen Titans. With Protector's death, Speedy's defection, and Flamebird's recent disappearance, the Titans were badly in need to reinforcements.

So Red Hood, Fairchild, Superboy, and Red Robin enlisted. And Protector's death had opened a vacancy for a group leader. A role Red Robin was either unaware that he was challenging Red Hood for or he was the slyest dog in the yard. In addition, while Red Hood had training running out his ears he lacked the practical experience that oozed out of Red Robin's pores.

Red Robin also openly opposed Red Hood's more violent methodologies. The exact complaint Batman had years before. His current circumstances epitomized the conflict.

The police were panic firing into the crowd to get at Red Hood. The crowd, whipped up by Phobia, fled to and fro all the more. The League of Assassins had taught Jason that a bystander in the way was just another enemy to be put down. Yet Red Hood found himself holding back which just increased his frustration and rage.

Phobia had taken up position behind the police and was actively taunting him. And suddenly everyone stopped and looked around is if they'd just come to their senses. And Phobia was nowhere to be seen.

The police mobilized and began calling in emergency services and paramedics as they realized the harm they'd inflicted. And amidst all of this, Red Robin came through the crows dragging an unconscious Phobia. It made Red Hood want to gnash his teeth.

Red Hood was beginning to utterly hate Red Robin. He figured Red Robin would turn his quarterstaff on him if he tried to blow Phobia's brains out at this point. And then the cops were all over him about his firearms and wanting to run ballistics to determine who he'd shot and if charges should be filed.

Red Robin just coolly watched him so Red Hood quite arguing and handed over his two custom made pistols. Red Hood turned to Red Robin as the investigators bagged the firearms, "Happy?"

"Pretty much," Red Robin admitted, "I didn't think you'd let go like that. And I was impressed by your self restraint earlier. I wasn't sure you had it in you."

"You're the one insisting we build a rapport with the cops. That doesn't happen if I start breaking noses," Red Hood conceded, "But I'm weaponless now."

Red Robin handed him the collapsible quarterstaff, "They did teach you to use these in the League of Assassins, didn't they?"

Now Red Hood was impressed. He'd never told anyone where he'd been trained. But then again, Red Robin's American accent was good but slipped when he was tired or distracted. He was British and the Knight had a sidekick called the Squire who'd been Red Robin's age. Until the Squire suddenly became much younger and half as trained. All Red Robin had admitted was that he'd approached Batman to become the new Robin and had almost been handed his own ass. Somehow he'd received tacit consent to become "Red Robin" rather than defile the hallowed memory of Robin. Which just lent credence to the theory that something horrific had happened to Robin which is why he was no longer partnered with the Dark Knight.

"Where to, Boss Man?" Red Hood asked.

Red Robin gave him a rueful look before answering, "Over the wall."

* * *

Superboy didn't waste any time with Houngan. It didn't sound like Beast Boy could take much more. He used his super strength, such as it was, to knock Houngan out after a couple of punches. Then he touched his cyber voodoo doll with a finger and it disassembled. And then the components twisted and distorted so they could never be reassembled.

He checked on the winded Beast Boy, "You okay, Gar?"

"Thanks. I can't tell you how happy I am to see his ass get kicked," Garfield Logan admitted.

"Sorry I couldn't get here sooner," Superboy felt a little guilty.

"At least you got here," Beast Boy was still grateful, "By the way, do you have an actual name? I'm throwing a party later this week and I don't think introducing you as 'Superboy' is very discreet."

"Conner," Superboy happily replied, mentally meaning to thank Cassie again, "My name is Conner."

"Got a last name?" Gar wondered.

Superboy blanched and Beast Boy laughed, "Never mind. I'll leave you a few secrets to yourself."

Superboy wished it was just a secret.

* * *

Inside Titan's headquarters, Brain urged Mallah on, "Hurry Mallah, we must reach Caitlin Fairchild's genetics lab before we're discovered."

"But why, my love?" the ape wondered.

"Because Fairchild is working with the DEO. She has a full list of their meta-gene candidates. Including which ones are gen active or not. NOWHERE completely underestimate Dr. Fairchild's intelligence and her work or her deviousness. It will only be a matter of time before Lynch makes a move to acquire the list which she stole from NOWHERE."

"Yes, I understand. But how could this Fairchild have such a list and conduct such research without her compatriots realizing it?" Mallah inquired.

"Because we respect her privacy," Raven said from behind them.

"Ah, Raven. Of all the Teen Titans I have the least amount of empirical data on you and your abilities," Brain confessed.

"Care for a taste?" a bird-like black shape emerged from Raven's flesh and its leading edges glowed. It moved down the corridor towards Brain and Mallah.

"Egad! Kill it!" Brain shrieked. An impressive feat for a being dependent upon a synthesized voice.

Mallah emptied the pistol he carried into Raven's soul self. But it was noncorporeal. But Raven herself, standing in a trance at the end of the hall, was solid. Her soul self remerged with her body and she sank to her knees as blood poured from the wound in her side.

"Apparently it wasn't a physical manifestation," Brain mused.

"Hurry, love. Surely they are on their way now," Mallah urged.

Miss Martian and Fairchild came upon Raven first. Raven's empathic healing ability didn't work on herself. So she could merely suffer until help arrived. Fairchild attempted basic first aid until Red Robin and Red Hood arrived. Red Robin emptied out sections of his utility belt and began bandaging Raven's wound.

"Go get him," he instructed as Superboy and Wonder Girl arrived on scene.

"Where would they go?" Red Hood asked.

"Caitlin's lab," M'gann answered.

Fairchild suddenly looked very guilty. Red Hood knew there was a story here and no one would like it. Caitlin gave him an imploring look and he suddenly realized what she must have taken with her when he helped break them out of NOWHERE.

"Oh, damn," was all he could say.

* * *

"Where is it?" Brain frantically raged as his USB connection let his mind surf the Titan's computer networks.

"Perhaps she stores the data on an external device, darling," Mallah suggested helpfully.

"You won't find it," Fairchild promised them, as she entered the lab escorted by Miss Martian and Red Hood.

"That data collection isn't yours," Brain accused.

"It's more mine that yours," Fairchild countered, "And the DEO knows what I'm working on."

"That's an odious point," Brain replied.

"How would you like me to crack that little dome around your brain wide open?" Red Hood idly wondered.

"Such a savage. But I would expect nothing else from a product of the League of Assassins," Brain accused.

Red Hood held his breath. Fairchild didn't flinch and M'gann didn't bat an eye. Then Mallah lifted his pistol after reloading it.

"I'll kill you all," he threatened before collapsing into a deep slumber.

"No, you won't," M'gann said matter-of-factly.

"Want to leave here in one piece?" Red Hood asked Brain.

"Very well, I surrender," he also managed an electronic huff, "For all the good it will do you."

"M'gann?" Fairchild asked Miss Martian.

"I don't know," she frowned, "His mind is closed to me. But the others all had thoughts of a nebulous threat poised to strike out at us. They just don't know what it is."

"And you didn't bother telling anyone why?" Red Hood was baffled.

"It wasn't relevant until now," M'gann shrugged.

"God, I hate Martians," Red Hood grumbled.

"I'm the only Martian that you know," M'gann pointed out.

"You're enough," Red Hood grumbled.

"Well, I adore you," Fairchild admitted.

* * *

After the police had finished collecting the Brotherhood of Evil and Raven had been driven to the hospital in an ambulance, the Titans finally started to relax. Superboy and Wonder Girl rode with Raven and stayed with her while she was prepped for surgery.

Skitter reverted to her human form and she and Bunker went out for coffee. Beast Boy, whose inherited fortune financed the Teen Titans, began directing his fund manager to begin acquiring contractors to repair the compound. Red Hood traveled to the police headquarters to sit on the cops until they produced the ballistics reports which would exonerate him. Kid Flash buried himself in the gaming world.

While Beast Boy turned his attention to his party planner, Red Robin met with Fairchild and Miss Martian in the genetics lab. Fairchild was incredulous, "I don't know how Brain even found out about the database. The DEO has kept me off the official records so this wouldn't happen. DEO sites across the globe are being plundered while criminals search for similar regional databases to sell to the highest bidder."

"Yes, but our exit from NOWHERE shut the Ravager program down. A lot of information had to have been knocked loose because of it and that includes realization of what data ended up missing," Red Robin theorized.

"You've known what I was doing, haven't you?" Caitlin asked M'gann.

"Not precisely but its notoriously difficult to keep a secret in a closed environment like this," Miss Martian answered, "I only knew hidden work was being done and I chose to respect your privacy as I'd hope you'd respect mine."

"Thank you," Caitlin said wholeheartedly, "So what now?"

"Now there will be questions," Red Robin warned her, "The secret is coming out. Are you prepared?"

"I'll have to be," Fairchild said grimly.

"All us ex-NOWHERE types will back you," Red Robin promised.

M'gann didn't have to read Caitlin's mind to feel the warmth of her emotions. Surprisingly, Red Robin's were cooler. Almost as if they were reserved for someone else.

* * *

The Ferris Security staff were out of their minds. And they had Bane's strength to flex around. The truth was their dose had been a blend of two disparate compounds. Venom and Scarecrow's anti-fear toxin had been mixed to yield results the Legion intended to apply to military purposes once the conquest of the multiverse began.

Trevor and Starling were slowing the guards down but only by killing them. But Isis and Troia arrived and began fighting the guards on their own terms. Power Girl and Black Adam were next to arrive. They were able to stop afflicted guards but only by permanently crippling them.

Katana and Azrael intervened before guards could reach Bat-Girl and Question. Ri joined Darknight in defending Huntress. Animal Man and Crimson Fox were swept back in the search for defensible ground. Hawkman came in as hard and fast as possible. Black Canary and Speedy wondered just how much they could accomplish. And then Guy constructed a wall around the JLA as Vixen and Vigilante arrived on foot.

The guards all began screaming and blood gushed from their eyes and noses as their muscles deflated. They were all sobbing wrecks of humanity afterwards. Guy dropped the wall and released the JLA.

Trevor turned to Ri, "See what you can do here."

Power Girl swept the area with her X-Ray vision, "I heard a boom tube during the fight. Other than the Legionnaires we've already captured, they've all escaped."

"They've done their damage, Tea;" Trevor said grimly, "Some of these people may be beyond Ri's ability to heal."

"There are also four costumes approaching from the south," Power Girl pointed out.

"Legionnaires?" he asked.

She wondered if he'd even listened too her report, "Three unknowns and the Enchantress. Who our intelligence says isn't affiliated with the Legion anymore."

"I'll check it," Trevor decided, "Alone."

She gave him a quizzical look and he sighed, "I'll explain later. Just keep an eye on me."

* * *

"It's a surprise seeing you here, Eve. I didn't know Checkmate had an interest in this case," Trevor addressed Nightshade.

"Only peripherally," Nightshade replied, "We're actually working with the Justice League Dark,"

"Any particular reason why?" Trevor asked.

"We have a source from the future that says a major operation is underway to take over the minds of the Justice League Unlimited and Justice League International before moving on towards world conquest," Nightshade explained.

"Does the source have a name?" Trevor asked.

"Goldilocks," Nightshade waited for the inevitable reaction.

"She's a nut ball. She probably imagined everything," Trevor snorted.

"Hear me out. The JLU went to Philadelphia about the same time you were sent here. Check the reports. They enlisted with the Legion and willingly left the scene with them. Our source predicted that outcome two weeks ago," Nightshade shared, "The JLD sent us to coordinate with the JLA until all the Justice Leagues can work together again to put down this threat."

"I need time to corroborate your story," Trevor warned her, "And there's a mop up here that needs to be accomplished."

"Time is the one thing no one has anymore," Nightshade warned him.

* * *

The Star Spangled Racer returned the JSA All Stars to the K-Star Ranch. The Central and Keystone City police departments were disgruntled at the All Stars. Central City for their arriving too late to prevent the successful thefts the Rogues had carried out. The KCPD were upset at the property damage and the threats to public safety the Rogues had undertaken. STAR Labs lawyers were looking into filing civil property damages suits against the All Stars. Needless to say, the costumed heroes were all grateful to finally get away from the Gem Cities.

But upon arrival at the K-Star Ranch, they found the Thunderbolt had been successful in bringing Goldilocks to the ranch. And then caged by Jakeem's direct order to the Thunderbolt. The Thunderbolt miserably stood by while Jakeem and Goldilocks exchanged verbal barbs. And Goldilocks, by all appearances, was winning hands down through sheer venom.

"Back off me, you effin' twerp," Goldilocks snapped him again as he approached the cage again, "One more word out of you and I'll be jamming my effin' boot up your effin' ass so far you'll sneeze leather."

"Milady!" The Shining Knight was scandalized upon hearing her.

"Don't you start on me or I'll give you some as well," Goldilocks warned him.

"What hast happened here during our absence?" Sir Justin asked.

"Ask the effin' shithead that snagged me and had me held here for the last hour," Goldilocks was still snarly but she was beginning to calm herself in Sir Justin's presence.

Jakeem was totally unrepentant, "You wanted her sorry ass. You got her sorry ass."

Hawk looked ready to dive into the matter but Dove physically held him back. King Chimera couldn't hide his amusement. Cyclone intervened on her behalf.

"Can't we let her loose now?" Cyclone inquired, "After all, most of us are here now."

"Yeah, we got this in case she gets squirrely like usual," Wildcat opined.

"Don't even get me started on you," Goldilocks advised. Wildcat was starting to admire her spunk. And Jakeem was a turd under the best of circumstances.

"Let her go, kid," Wildcat decided.

"You sure?" Jakeem looked nervous.

"Yeah, just do it," Wildcat tensed just in case, "Just keep yer Thunderbolt handy."

"Okay T-Bolt. Let her go," Jakeem ordered despite his own sense of self preservation.

Goldilocks faked out Jakeem with a faux lunge at him. But she went by him and went to a clear spot near the center briefing table. Jakeem was rattled.

"You see that?" he squeaked.

"Look, we're sorry the kid locked ya up. That wasn't the idea. He's a pain in the ass on a good day and this ain't one of them," Wildcat apologized, "But as long as yer here we need ta talk."

"Damn straight we do," Goldilocks agreed, "I was on my way to brief the JLA when this wanker grabbed me. Hopefully my team carried on in my absence. You were next on my list anyway."

"List, why?" Dr. Mid-Nite asked.

"It's officially end of the world time and it's time to put aside pettiness and work together with anyone that will work with you to stop the Legion from literally conquering the word and handing its collective self to Darkseid," Goldilocks told the group.

"Could you be more specific?" Dr. Mid-Nite sought clarification.

"People from the future were locked up here in the past. They're free now and they're some of the vilest and most powerful criminals in human history," Goldilocks opened with, "They cut a deal with Luthor in order to conquer the next thousand years and the multiverse with it."

"How can you know any of this?" Dove asked.

Goldilocks told her story. She even included how she became the favorite sex toy to Lightning Lord and Cosmic King before killing them and incurring the wrath of Saturn Queen. Then she told them how Dr. Fate intercepted her while she was on the run and sent her back in time to change the present and prevent the future.

"And it gets better," Goldilocks warned them, "The woman you knew as Tessa Richardson is a figment of the imagination. Her real name is Eve Aries and she's from the 31st Century. And additionally, she's the Saturn Queen."

"Sir Justin told us Tessa had become Saturn Queen so I don't understand the degree of skepticism here," Dove ventured.

"She didn't become anyone," Goldilocks clarified, "She was always Eve Aries and Eve Aries is who she remembers being again. Think of Tessa as a glaze on a painting. Eve thought she was Tessa because her memory had been suppressed and a false identity imposed on her tabula rasa."

"Ya just wanna get yer mitts on Justin," Wildcat countered.

"Of course I do," Goldilocks readily admitted, "But not this way. This way no one gets him. Saturn Queen has him executed for daring to remind her of what she considers a moment of weakness."

"Making Sir Justin's wife appear to be a murderer seems to be a clever ploy that would get you closer to your goal," Cyclone reasoned.

"I believe her," Dove asserted. Hawk's eyes bugged out while the others considered the fact Dove's perception went beyond human norms, "My question is whether Tessa can survive inside of Saturn Queen the way she did inside of Tessa."

"I have no idea," Goldilocks confessed, "No one lived long enough to find out."

"This could be an artificially induced case of Disassociative Personality Disorder whereby two distinct personalities inhabit a single body," Dr. Mid-Nite theorized.

"Should we then not set out to rescue the fair Tessa?" Sir Justin asked.

To her credit, Goldilocks didn't even blink. Dr. Mid-Nite was the resident wet blanket, "We'd need a powerful telepath. J'onn Jonzz would be my preference."

"Have you been listening at all?" Goldilocks asked, "Tessa may or may not be more than a band aid but the Martian Manhunter is an intentionally lost cause. The Legion's first targets were the JLU. It begins in Philadelphia and it's probably already done."

"J'onn is arguably the greatest telepath on this planet. I'd say he's equal to the task of defeating this Saturn Queen," Dr. Mid-Nite stated.

"Saturn Queen is one of the most powerful telepaths in the 31st Century, second only to Imra Ardeen, the Saturn Girl. But that isn't the limit to her powers. She also has the ability of super hypnosis. She doesn't apply outside telepathic control over someone, she warps their own minds so they become willing slaves," Goldilocks shared, "It took the entire telepathic population of Saturn's moon, Titan, to subdue Eve Aries and create Tessa Richardson."

"Tell us more about these Legions in the future," Lightning requested.

So Goldilocks ran down the histories of the Legions of Superheroes and Super Villains, "One was inspired by the Justice League and the other by the Legion of Doom."

"Look, Mekt Ranzz and Laevar Bolto recovered their memories first," Goldilocks explained again, "Lightning Lord and Cosmic King knew they couldn't find their Saturn Queen on their own so they enlisted Luthor's help for a price. They hand him the world and he secures the future they want to live in."

"Bullshit!" Hawk couldn't keep quiet anymore, "Yer makin' this crap up."

"She really is from the future," Vibe declared, "She's vibrationally out of synch with the present in a pattern I've only seen from time travelers. That part of her story is true, and beings it is, who's to say the rest isn't as well?"

"Ask your Roxy," Goldilocks insisted, "Simply put, did the JLU join forces with the Legion this afternoon?"

"Rox?" Wildcat queried her.

"I've wanted to say something since this began," Roxy fidgeted "in" her seat, "Goldilocks' story checks out. The JLU was spotted being beaten by the Legion and then Tessa came out and spoke to them and everyone but Barda, Shayera, and Captain Atom were suddenly friends with the Legion."

"I'll be damned," Wildcat muttered.

"What now?" Lightning was nervous now.

"Now we team with the JLA and rescue the JLI from the Legion's ambitions. And they will be throwing the JLU into the mix," Goldilocks described what was to come.

"Holy shit! A Justice League war!" Jakeem blurted.

"Which yer sittin' out of here," Wildcat sternly told him, causing him to petulantly sulk.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Goldilocks promised.

"In the future, your future, did we pull it off?" Cyclone asked.

"No," Goldilocks didn't spare anyone the truth, "You failed in a spectacular fashion."

* * *

Trevor got done instructing the pilot's to adjust their heading and go across the Atlantic. He'd contacted Sue and she'd given him the news regarding the JLU. For the most part, they'd just willingly entered the boom tube with the Legion as though they were all lifelong friends. And according to Nightshade, this was just the beginning.

The mop up in Coast City had been a disaster. Ferris Aircraft's CEO had expected the physical damages to the property but not the toll in human lives. Ri was only able to partially restore those affected by what would turn out to be a Venom derivative. The drug itself defeated her efforts. And the death toll from those shot were nearly a dozen lost souls.

Trevor reentered the passenger cabin and briefed everyone. Enchantress snorted, "Don't expect us to act all surprised. We told you it was happening."

Trevor wondered if she'd learned diplomacy from their resident Red Lantern, "Be that as it may, do any of you have any recommendations on how to proceed?"

"We were hoping to get word from our expert by now," Nightshade admitted, "All I can suggest is to contact the All Stars and arrange a rendezvous at the Dome."

"We've already altered course," Trevor told her.

The table pinged and Sue's holographic image appeared in 2D displays all around, _"The All Stars contacted us. They want a confab and they're rather desperate for us to reroute to Paris. I told them you already had."_

"Goldilocks' playbook?" Trevor asked Nightshade.

"Her hope was to gather the JLA and the All Stars and prevent the indoctrination of the JLI," Nightshade informed him, "But she also warned that didn't happen in her future. So she was thinking it was pretty pivotal."

"Sue, thank the All Stars and tell them we'll meet at the airport," Trevor instructed.

Her image disappeared and Trevor asked Nightshade, "I know about Checkmate but why hasn't the JLD become more involved already?"

"Because they like sitting on their thumbs and spinning," Enchantress said angrily.

"There's a lot of ideological debate inside the JLD right now," Black Orchid admitted, "Most of the upper echelon wants to get involved but we're the only peons that would go along with it. And Dr. Fate, Pandora, and the Phantom Stranger aren't your straightforward combat types. Madame Xanadu is pretty much fielding our efforts right now."

"Has anyone told them we're facing a literal war?" Trevor had to ask.

"They know and they don't care," Silver Swan said glumly.

"Yer guys are all pansies," Guy guffawed.

"Not all of us, knot head," Enchantress retorted, "Or we wouldn't be here, genius."

"Ya wanna go twenty rounds with me? I can go all day," Guy grew angry.

"In a big circle like a yappy little dog on a leash," Enchantress sneered.

Guy's ring flared to life and Black Adam gripped his shoulder…and squeezed, "Apologize, Gardner."

"Ah, stick it up yer… _ngh_ ," Guy grimaced in pain, "I'm sorry already. But do us all a favor, lady. Quit flappin' yer yap."

"I suggest you lead by example," Black Adam warned him.

As Black Adam rejoined Isis, Guy muttered, "You'll get yer's, pallie."

"Colonel, I can't reach Supergirl or White Lantern," Power Girl said as she came in from the cockpit's communications console, "Their postal letter carrier brought two weeks' worth of mail to their apartment manager. No one even knew they'd left."

"Haw, haw," Guy erupted into laughter, "Kyle's probably slippin' her some sausage somewhere quiet-like. If ya know what I mean."

"How couldn't we?" Enchantress derided him, "After, you were so subtle."

Power Girl moved behind Guy while he glared at Enchantress. She bounced his head off the table display, cracking it, "Oops."

Trevor sighed. The JLA didn't need to fight other Justice Leagues. They had enough conflict within their own ranks.


	6. Chapter 6

27

"We need to get moving," Sand said apprehensively. He hadn't told his fellow All Stars of the ghost of Wesley Dodds coming to him and passing along the precognitive gifts of the Sandman. "Gift" was a generous overstatement though. "Curse" was more like it since his every moment asleep was filled with the prophecies of doom for countless millions across the globe and he could only affect the outcome of a chosen few.

That being said, Sand had experienced dreams regarding a return to the Subtle Realms. And every vision had ended in horrific disaster. For him and the team. At this point, Sand just wanted to grab Mary Marvel and return home, if anyone was left alive to do so.

"We need a way to find and track Mary," Sentinel complained, "And my power ring is restricted to its most basic functions in this world. I can't do much more than create constructs from my imagination and willpower."

"And I've deployed my T-Spheres around our perimeter and Flash and Jesse are already scouting the horizon," Mr. Terrific reminded him.

Jay Garrick, the original Flash, and Jesse Quick were well out of sight scouting out the foothills beyond the broad plain they'd arrived upon. Mr. Terrific's mask alerted him to incoming speedsters entering the T-Spheres' scanning range, "And Jay and Jesse are on their way back."

"Not a moment too soon," Hourman fretted over his wife's safety. It seemed everyone was getting nervous in this warped dimension.

* * *

Atom Smasher noticed that Anna Fortune stood apart from the others. She also had the goggles she habitually wore propped up on her head lowered to her eyes, "You're missing out, Anna."

"I rather think not," Anna said as she gazed out across the horizon, "Ah, there it is. We need only gather our companions and set out to find Mary Marvel."

"Um…that's the point. We don't have a means to do so," Atom Smasher knew Anna was hyper aware of her surroundings so how had she missed such an obvious dilemma?

"I have the means, Albert," Anna said dryly.

"Should I tell the others?" Al Rothstein asked.

"By all means," Anna declared, "It will distract them from their fretting over the Flash and Jesse."

The All Stars had recently encountered Amos Fortune, Anna's great-great nephew. It seemed the members of the Fortune family were fated to be involved in the arcane. Amos had the ability to project the imagery from tarot cards and bring it to life. He'd pitted the tarot against the All Stars in an effort to avenge the Fortune family's fate after Anna had been driven from the plantation in 1867.

Nabu, working through a different Fate host, had found Anna and taken her in and moved her through time to the modern era. Studying to be an Agent of Order, Anna still dwelt in Salem, Massachusetts inside Fate's Tower. Anna had always been a divisive figure amongst the Justice League Unlimited, the Justice Society of America, and now the JSA All Stars.

"How can you track Mary?" Atom Smasher asked.

"Aethers, m'dear," he could hear the humor in Anna's voice despite her mouth and nose being covered by her mask. But laugh lines formed at her eyes and her eyes sparkled with mirth, "We need only track the aethers that conduct the powers Shazam bequeaths the Marvels."

* * *

Flash and Jesse arrived while they were discussing the means and methods. Flash reported in while Jesse reassured Hourman, "All I could find was large caravans of nasty critters. It's like being in Limbo all over again. I keep expecting Surtur to jump out of a hillside."

Sentinel was the only member of the original JSA still with the team that had spent the thirty years between the Fifties and the Eighties locked in Limbo battling Surtur, master of the fire demon armies, to prevent him from unleashing the Midgard Serpent and beginning Ragnarok and destroying the Earth. The JSA had been immortal in Limbo and always regenerated from harm. It took a direct action from the Specter to liberate the men and women trapped there and they'd returned to Earth twenty years younger than when they'd entered damnation.

"I ran a hundred miles across every stretch of the horizon and couldn't find anything other than demon settlements," Jesse hated to admit.

"Anna has a way to find Mary," Atom Smasher interrupted, "She said it has to do with aethers."

"That's a term from alchemy," Flash told everyone. As a chemist he was familiar with Victorian chemical terminology.

"Anna, can you really track Mary?" Mr. Terrific was willing to grasp the straw.

"Quite," Anna happily confirmed it.

"Would you mind sharing how?" Hourman impatiently wanted to know.

"With these," Anna slid her goggles down over eyes again, "When Dr. Fate gave me these I wasn't certain what use they'd be. As it turns out they're tailor made for situations like these."

"Khalid gave these to you?" Flash asked.

"No, Kent Nelson was still Nabu's host as Fate when I received them. They allow me to perceive the fluctuations of mystical energy as transmitted through atmospheric gases. In this case I can view the streams of energy Shazam imparts upon the Marvel Family. Both Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. have streams of magical empowerment connecting them to the Rock of Eternity. So does Mary. Her connection is a faint trail well over the horizon. I fear she is some distance from us."

"And you didn't mention this earlier because…?" Sentinel had to wonder.

"I'd never had cause to test these little gems out," Anna slid the goggles back to their usual place, "And I wanted you to feel as though you were accomplishing something."

"Why you grandstanding little…!" Jesse found herself so angry she was at a loss for words.

"Easy, hon," Hourman advised her, "We know from experience Anna isn't above casting spells against teammates."

Anna rolled her eyes. It seemed casting that memory charm against the Question and the Huntress would haunt her forever even after the JLU had exonerated her from criminal mischief but only because she'd erased the evidence of everything but the charm itself. Zatanna had traced it back to her but malicious intent couldn't be proven.

"Look, I don't care why she didn't say anything sooner," Sand fumed, "But if we have a means and a method for finding Mary I say we hurry up and do so before we attract any attention."

"It's far too late for that," Anna warned them, "We have been noticed and noted. All we can do now is move swiftly and pray."

No one had ever heard such sentiments from Anna before. Sentinel turned to the team's speedsters again, "Jay, you lead Jesse out ahead of the group. Just periodically double back to get changes of direction from Anna."

"As if she'd tell us," Jesse snorted.

She raced off before anyone else could comment. Jay shrugged and followed her to overtake her and discuss matters. Sentinel used his ring to lift Sand, Hourman, Mr. Terrific, Atom Smasher, Commander Steel, Judomaster, and Metamorpho. Captain Marvel, Stargirl, and Junior flew escort around Anna. Aztek brought up the rear.

* * *

Seven hundred miles later, Flash and Jesse were embattled by hordes of demons surrounding them. Flying demons came at the All Stars in the air. Sentinel lowered his passengers so they could assist Jay and Jesse.

Sand buried demons beneath the ground as the attacked him. Hourman injected Miraclo and had an hour's worth of super strength and durability that he used to tear demons apart. Commander Steel already had the same attributes and used them to maximum effect. Metamorpho shifted throughout the periodic table to sear, singe, burn, incinerate, bludgeon, and poison demons.

Mr. Terrific's T-Spheres used their energy projection capabilities to blast demons down to their constituent atoms. Jesse and Flash used their speed and momentum driven kinetic energy to slice through demon ranks. Atom Smasher grew in stature and strength and stomped and crushed demons.

Aztek's mystical armor gave him the strength and protection to freely use his magical energy bolts to tear through flying demons. The Marvels used their speed and strength to kill demons. Stargirl's Cosmic Rod and Cosmic Convertor Belt allowed her to obliterate demons. Sentinel used a rotating corollary of constructs to attack demons.

Anna watched as Judomaster evaded every demon attack yet delivered invariably lethal blows. The All Stars had roughly formed a circle and Anna was its center. Which worked to her advantage.

The demons poured out over the horizons and darkened the skies and blanketed the ground. Anna selected the spell casing she needed and loaded it into her arm cannon. Then she fired into the ground.

"Hold on!" she yelled to everyone as a white mystical vortex formed beneath her. Demons began slipping through the air and across the ground as the vortex sucked them in. They began moving faster than anyone save Flash or Jesse could track. They were drawn in from beyond the unseen distance. And when the last of them had been drawn in, Anna alighted next to the vortex and tapped it with her forefinger and it vanished.

"Wow!" was all Courtney Whitmore could say.

"You said it, Court," Captain Marvel agreed with Stargirl.

"They're all gone," Jesse marveled.

"But there will always be more," Sand grumbled.

"And I only have one more similar spell casing," Anna warned them all, "I bought us time and temporary liberty but I have to use this last casing sparingly."

"Anna, would you continue to lead the way?" Flash asked diplomatically.

Anna slid her goggles over her eyes again, "Mary is still roughly in the same direction."

"Roughly?" Captain Marvel fretted over the fate of his twin sister.

"We are still wishing she's still capable of independent movement, are we not?" Anna asked.

Stargirl watched her boyfriend's jaw clench. After two weeks alone in the Subtle Realms, Mary had undoubtedly fought her share of demons. She had the Strength of Hercules and the Stamina of Atlas, but could those bolster her from weariness of the soul when there was no hope of escape?

"She's okay, Billy," Stargirl assured him, "We'd know it if she wasn't."

"She'd better be," Billy Batson said with such vehemence. She'd never heard it from him before. But she had from her biological father. And he was now a henchman for the Penguin.

* * *

"Bor-ring," Kitrina Falcone complained.

"You're still too young to go into the casino proper," Selina Kyle reminded her protégé.

"But I can risk my life every other day with the JLA?" Kitrina griped, "Where's the fairness in that?"

"You of all people should know life is never fair," Selina referred to Kitrina's birth into the Falcone crime family, "I'll observe Cluemaster here while you search his hotel suite."

"Great. Panty raid anyone?" Kitrina grumbled as she left to return to the hotel she and Selina also occupied.

Selina slinked into the casino, catching every male, and a number of female, eyes. And as she'd hoped, she caught Arthur Brown's eye as well. He swiftly made his approach, playing the high roller bit to the nines.

"Catwoman," he said with a mischievous smirk.

"Do I know you, Cluemaster?" Selina sidled up to the bar and ordered champagne.

"Oh, now you're wounding me," Cluemaster complained.

"I hear you're still rather _close_ with your ex-wife," Selina barbed him, "But not so much with your daughter."

Selina sipped her champagne. It was a Krug non-vintage. She'd always preferred the grape mix in the non-vintage bottles.

"Why are you here?" Cluemaster dropped all pretenses and got straight to business. He obviously wanted to know if there was a conflict of professional interests.

"If you have something in the works, don't worry about me. I'm retired and independently wealthy these days," Selina assured him with utter sincerity.

"Independently my cummerbund," Cluemaster snorted, "You stole every cent you have."

"Except for those fabulous dividends I received from some rather exclusive clubs," Selina needled him again.

"Yes, well I've never had the advantage of working with either the Legion of Doom or the Justice League Unlimited whereas you've flipped both sides of the coin, haven't you?" Cluemaster _almost_ made an accusation.

"But fortunes change," Selina winked, "Why else come to a casino?"

"Clever girl," Cluemaster grudgingly admitted, "I have an operation in effect here in Monte Carlo. Stay out of it if you value your life."

"I'm not recklessly throwing my life away these days," Selina assured him, "Besides, you have other concerns besides me."

"Meaning?" he was instantly suspicious.

"You have your own adversarial baggage," Selina took another sip and watched him over her glass.

"Spoiler is a well named child without the means to fly transatlantic," Cluemaster hissed.

"Nevertheless, overconfidence kills. Or in your case, _spoils_ ," Selina flagged the bartender for another.

Cluemaster impatiently checked his watch, "If you'll excuse me, I have five minutes to report to the baccarat table. Hopefully we won't be seeing much of each other."

"Trust me, if I have my way we won't," Selina picked up her newly delivered champagne flute and casually followed Cluemaster to the private high stakes table.

* * *

Kitrina snagged a maid's universal pass key to enter Arthur Brown's suite. And she promptly ducked as a metal quarterstaff was swung at her head. Dropping low, she executed a classic leg sweep. Spoiler landed on her butt but rolled over her head onto her feet, sweeping aside her cape with her hand.

Kitrina was in a fighting stance and so was Stephanie Brown, "Steph? What the hell?"

"What are you doing here?" Spoiler asked.

"My job," Kitrina huffed, "And you've obviously trashed the place. Ever hear of finesse?"

"I don't have time for finesse," Spoiler retorted.

"Your dad's in a high stakes game with scheduled rest breaks," Kitrina shot back at her, "He'll be busy for a while."

"But his goons won't be," Spoiler threw at her.

"What goons?" Kitrina asked, rather puzzled until the door knob began to jiggle.

"Crap!" Spoiler headed for the balcony.

"Wait for me," Kitrina hissed.

Spoiler got out on the balcony and fired a Bat grapple gun at the roof, "See ya!"

She ascended, leaving Catgirl behind. Kitrina swore as the door to the suite began to open. Getting up on the ledge, she leapt across to the adjacent balcony. Using her multitool, she jimmied the door and entered that suite.

Listening through the connecting wall, Kitrina overheard the brilliance of the stooges trying to figure out proper protocol concerning a break in of a super villain's room. Finally they decided to alert hotel management.

* * *

Kitrina slipped out of her refuge and headed for the roof. There, she found Spoiler waiting for her, "So you made it after all."

Kitrina hit her so fast, Stephanie never saw it coming, "You ever hang me out like that again and I will bury you if I survive."

"Spoken like a true Falcone," Spoiler retorted as she got back onto her feet.

"Don't even go there," Kitrina warned, "You're not the only one with family issues."

"Sorry," Spoiler was honestly repentant this time, "But why are you here and why didn't you know about dad's goon squad?"

"Because Sue's briefing didn't include them," Kitrina shared. Seeing Spoiler's confusion, Kitrina gave her the room number she shared with Selina, "Change into civvies and meet me there. I'll clue you in after you arrive."

"Okay," Spoiler agreed, "Just go easy on the word clue. Bad connotation and all that."

"Right," Kitrina agreed.

* * *

Stephanie arrived at the room an hour later, "God, this room rates. Waller only gave me this little shack in comparison."

"Welcome to the JLA," Kitrina said wryly.

"So why are you, and I presume Catwoman, here?" Stephanie asked.

"You're the distraction while Selina and I pursue the real objective," Kitrina let Stephanie know.

"Shit! Waller's using me," Stephanie realized.

"Like I said, welcome to the JLA," Kitrina said ruefully this time.

* * *

Hotel management contacted the casino and special permission for an emergency end to the day's card play was granted to Arthur Brown so he could return to the hotel to discuss matters with the police. Selina inwardly groaned as the casino manager made the cessation announcement. She remained well after Cluemaster had left in order to maintain appearances for any agents he'd left behind. When she did leave, she wondered just how Kitrina had screwed the pooch on this one.

* * *

Across the casino, Rocki Ballantine observed everything. Idly she wondered just how the hell people afforded places like this. Even the drinks cost more than her usual meal out.

After Sonia Alcona left Gotham and took the Batwoman identity with her, Kathy Duquesne had gone on to legitimize her family's business interests. Rocki had finally married her fiancé, Kevin. But Kevin hadn't realized he was HIV positive until it was too late.

The particular gang rapist that infected Kevin had an arrangement with Blackgate's doctor whereby test results from health screenings were hidden and falsified. Therefore the rapist had unencumbered access to the prison population and victims like Kevin never knew the truth about what had happened.

Everything came to light after Kevin was diagnosed with AIDS three years into the marriage. He only lasted a year after that. Rocki never told Kevin she'd contracted HIV from him. She sought to spare him that pain.

Waller _had_ threatened Rocki's business interests, that much was true. But where Rocki had thrown herself into the company to assuage her grief, there were also practical reasons for her recruitment into the Justice League of America. Now she had access to the same next gen HIV antiviral medications Mia Deardon received for being Speedy. Rocki felt a great deal of compassion for Mia. At least Rocki had been accidently infected by someone she loved. Mia had knowingly been a victim of some pervert while she was forced into prostitution.

Rocki perked up as a rather unsavory fellow followed Selina Kyle out of the casino. It seemed Cluemaster may have brought along some friends after all. Waller had given Rocki a black Amex card and she paid her bill with it and followed the follower.

Something about Kathy's mad plan for revenge against Catman had triggered something inside Rocki. She was probably going to die a horrific death. And there was no telling when. Her company was one legacy she was leaving behind but Batwoman was another.

So when Waller came to her, Rocki resisted pro forma but she'd really already said 'yes' before Waller even asked. And Waller knew it. They'd negotiated the terms of employment anyway because Waller knew about Rocki's diagnosis.

Rocki wasn't supposed to interfere in either Catwoman's or Spoiler's operations unless the shit hit the fan. Seeing Selina's irritation, and her added annoyance at being followed by such an obvious stooge, let Rocki know that while no one was actively shitting yet, their pants had fallen to their ankles. And Rocki found the prospect of going into action again very exciting.

* * *

Shayera Hol and Barda were locked away in the deepest dungeons within the Hall of Doom. Both used an hour of brute force and then an hour of finesse to discover that their cells were designed to hold Kryptonians. Thanagarians and New Gods were just fodder to feed the dungeon by comparison.

Captain Atom's sagging containment suit was hooked up to energy siphon manacles and every spare iota of power was drained from him in addition to the damper rods thrust through the suit. It took Luthor threatening to do the same to Major Force to keep him from visiting Captain Atom and gloating. Luthor promised Major Force he'd see action soon enough.

Luthor employed his oiliest smile on the LSV Founders, "Truly your plan is a success."

Luthor chuckled as Superman, Flash, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Atom and Mr. Miracle knelt before them. He kissed Saturn Queen's hand, "Truly you are a marvel."

"Flatterer," Saturn Queen replied, "But your mind still revolves around your plan to eventually betray us."

Luthor smirked, "My mental defenses were prepared by the best yet you slide through them like they're tissue paper. You are truly incomparable in this century."

"In any century," Saturn Queen sniffed, "My only rival won't be born for another thousand years."

"Do you have the briefing files we require pulled up?" Lightning Lord returned them to the business at hand.

"Yes, Brainiac has secured the Justice League International's own personnel dossiers as well as the DEO and ISA files on each member," Luthor happily reported, "Most of it is redacted for public consumption. And there is a dearth of information regarding Dr. Mist."

"Mist?" Cosmic King paused, "Our history doesn't record a Dr. Mist ever existing."

"Oh, he's gone through several pseudonyms over the last six thousand years. Dr. Mist is his latest. He's purported to be a mystical immortal of the race of Homo Magi," Luthor briefed them, "But that's uncorroborated."

"We'll take appropriate measures," Lightning Lord assured Luthor, "This Mist will hesitate to strike back at such 'heroes' as Superman and his ilk. However, thanks to Saturn Queen, the Justice League Unlimited will not have any constraints but those we give them."

"Why, may I ask, are you stressing such importance on the JLI?" Luthor had to wondered, "Their ranks are filled with second tier heroes at best. The JLA and the JSA All Stars are more suitably staffed with people you could use to further your aims."

"Because the JLI holds the respect and awe of the rest of the world beyond the United States," Cosmic King was irritated by having to explain, "When the other worldwide heroes see that the JLI has capitulated to us, they will lose heart and that is the first step of any campaign."

"But the JLA and the All Stars are a far greater threat than the rest of the world," Luthor was irritated to have to repeat.

"Both the JLA and the All Stars will resist us to a man and a woman, but in the end, sheer superiority of numbers will drive them into the ground," Saturn Queen promised.

"And the Shining Knight?" Luthor probed, "He's a member of the All Stars now."

"A momentary weakness imposed upon me," Saturn Queen was irked by the line of questioning, "After we capture him, I'll kill him myself."

Luthor doubted it would be so easy for Eve Aries to accomplish no matter what she told herself and others. And the narrowing of her eyes told him she'd read his mind. So much the better.

"We'll use the same Legionnaire team we employed in Philadelphia against the Dome," Lightning Lord dictated.

"I would recommend greater numbers," Luthor retorted.

"Against so-called 'second tier' opponents?" Cosmic King sneered, "We've made our decision. Our arrangement means you make it a reality."

Luthor realized that despite Lightning Lord and Saturn Queen disagreeing with Cosmic King's tone they'd back him to the death. They truly functioned better as a team than mere individuals. But crippling them wasn't a mere matter of killing one component. He'd have to kill them all.

"Very well," he acceded, "You've proven right so far. Just remember though, it only takes one mistake to unravel plans at this level."

"And you remember, Lex, that your usefulness is finite," Cosmic King warned him, "Don't prove yourself to be expendable."

"I suggest we brief our shock troops now," Saturn Queen intervened in Cosmic King's battle of wills with their ally.

As Luthor began to have Brainiac gather the required team, The LSV Founders sent the JLU team ahead to the briefing room. As they strolled the corridors of the Hall of Doom, Saturn Queen brought up a point, "I hate to broach a delicate topic but we need to dispatch a team to Gotham City."

"This again? He's one man," Cosmic King scoffed.

"One man that can bog down the occupation of this planet for years to come," Lightning Lord agreed with Saturn Queen, "Eve is right. Batman must be dealt with at the onset."

"I'll lead the mission then," Cosmic King offered, "You two march on Paris."

"All right, Laevar. Assemble a team. Mekt, remember, I need a moment alone with Ultraman," Saturn Queen insisted.

"Your plan is too risky," Lightning Lord protested, "He's a misanthrope. Who knows what that dullard feels regarding the concept of family."

"Why Mekt, you're worried about me. How sweet," Saturn Queen was truly touched, "But I'm a grown woman. I can manipulate one dullard."

"Remember why we're doing this," Lightning Lord urged, "We're fashioning a new future for the United Planets. A future free of the threat of the Khund or the Dominators. There won't be any more Fatal Five, no Time Trapper, no Universo, no Mordru, or Glorith. It will be a perfect future that we rule."

"And if I'm successful, we'll have the perfect champion to lead our Legion in suppressing any dissent," Saturn Queen did her own reminding.

"But we'll still be beholden to Darkseid," Cosmic King snorted.

"Once he wins the multiverse, he'll be too preoccupied to watch us foment rebellion against him and lead the oppressed sentients of fifty-two universes against Apokolips," Lightning Lord reiterated their ultimate goal, "Then those universes will give us whatever we desire out of sheer gratitude."

"Laevar, you have another variable to deal with as well," Saturn Queen interjected, "Nyssa al Ghul's Injusticers can prove to be valuable allies or implacable enemies. If you can't persuade her to enlist with us, kill her. Even then, if she joins with us she's ambitious and will have to be watched."

"I'll approach her after I deal with Batman," Cosmic King decided, "Afterwards I'll approach this 'Nyssa'. She'll side with us or die. It's that simple."

"We'll see," Saturn Queen mused, "Few things in life are ever that clear cut."

* * *

As the Legion prepared to mobilize, Saturn Queen took a private moment with Ultraman alone, "I know you've never had a family. The children at the orphanage mocked you because you were slow after your injuries when the rocket that brought to Earth was damaged."

"I showed them," Ultraman growled, "And the Kents for finding me and giving me away and handing my rocket over to the government."

"Yes, you proved to them who the better man was, Kal-L," Saturn Queen agreed, "But everyone needs a family."

"Mine's dead," Ultraman said sadly, "The rocket was busted up but it told me that much. And Superwoman asked me to be part of the Crime Syndicate but they're all mean. They think I'm stupid. Except for the new Power Ring but she's scared of me. She's scared of everyone."

"We can be your family," Saturn Queen offered.

"We?" Ultraman was confused.

"Lightning Lord and Cosmic King can be your fathers and I can be your mother," Saturn Queen explained, "If you'll let us."

"Two dads?" Ultraman thought about this, "Are they gay?"

"No, but it doesn't matter. People like us, people like you, make their own rules. In our world anything is possible," Saturn Queen assured him, "And you can help make our world a reality. And in exchange you'll have the family you always wanted. I'll look after you as only a mother can."

"I'd like that," Ultraman said dreamily.

"Then look into my eyes and we'll seal our bargain," Saturn Queen reached into his mind and barely made any adjustments at all. Ultraman was sincere and when she knew this she kissed him on the forehead, "Now, let's go meet people and you can make me proud, son."

"I will, mother. I promise," Ultraman vowed.

Saturn Queen just smiled.

* * *

Dr. Mist decided to auger the portents after Sue Dibney contacted the JLI administration. He saw only conflict but the conflict was confusing and undecipherable. He had Belphegor summon the JLI. And no sooner had they assembled then the Legion of Doom boom tubed into the streets outside the Dome.

The JLers scattered to deal with the threat. But to their surprise and dismay, the JLU seemed to have sided with the Legion for this encounter. The JLers engaged the other JLers and the Legionnaires.

"Hold still, ya flippin' yabo!" Jack O'Lantern snarled at Green Lantern. So far, John Stewart had done little else then erect barriers to protect him from Jack's magic lantern. The lantern let Jack fly, project energy beams, create flames, and erect his own energy barriers. And if Jack were to be separated from the lantern, he could control it remotely with his mind.

Paired off against one another, it seemed to be a fair fight. But Daniel Cormac wasn't alone. Wenonah Littlebird, the Native American JLer called Owlwoman was also in the fight. Owlwoman and Jack were the power couple in the JLI. She had the supernatural ability to fly, extend talons from her fingertips and had inescapable tracking abilities.

So while Jack attacked from in front of John, Owlwoman attacked from behind. Jack saw the exact moment a switch was thrown in John's mind. He tried to erect a barrier in time, but the punch beam John fired shot through Jack's head before he could. Jack dropped his lantern and fell to the pavement below.

Owlwoman screamed as she landed next to Jack and cradled him for the final time, "Daniel, oh Daniel, what has he done to you?"

"He's killed me, darlin'," Jack told her, "Only the lantern is givin' me a chance ta say goodbye."

She pulled off his mask and she saw his eyes glazing over, "Don't you leave me alone, dammit!"

"Wenonah, don't lose yerself in hate. Too many of my countrymen have done. It poisons the soul," Jack pleaded.

Owlwoman kissed him and whispered, "Don't go."

"I can't help it, darlin'. I love ya. Always have," Jack promised her.

"Jack, I love you too. I always will," Owlwoman saw Jack's lantern vanish.

His last words were slurred but they sounded to her like he said, "Look, the wee folk have come fer me."

Jack died in Owlwoman's arms while she remembered the Sidhe had given him his lantern. And then, inexplicably, Jack's body dissolved into glittering sparks in Owlwoman's arms. She was temporarily lost in grief but then the anger began to build and she had one desire in this life: to kill John Stewart.

He encased her in a force bubble to keep her at bay.

* * *

Ulla Paske sought refuge in flight. The Flash had pummeled the Little Mermaid and the Tasmanian Devil. Ulla's jaw and face still ached from the blows he'd rained down upon her. Only the fact she was half-Atlantean and bred for bone crushing depths had kept her from being knocked senseless like poor Tasmanian Devil was getting pounded away. Even the Devil's greater than human strength and quick reflexes didn't give him a chance against Flash.

Ulla knew she had two options. She could fly as far as she could across the Atlantic and seek help or she could swim for thirty hours before being forced to fly again. Then Belphegor's mental voice filled her thoughts and she knew about the JLA and All Star's impending arrival. So she headed for the airport to greet them. Her UN credentials would gain her access to the secure terminal.

Having beaten Tasmanian Devil into ground, Flash followed Ulla as she flew across town. Even in the air or under water, Little Mermaid was slower than Wally West could run along the ground or run across the water's surface. He'd be Little Mermaid's nasty surprise when she reached wherever she was going.

* * *

"I can't believe that nitwit Goldilocks even has a sister," Superwoman mocked Godiva.

"Beware your tone," Olympian growled.

"Oh-ho! Sister dear has an admirer. A rippling mass of muscles admirer to boot," Superwoman said lustfully, "Maybe I'll have you as my new boy toy when this is done."

Godiva was surprised to discover she had mixed feelings regarding that prospect. Olympian charged into battle. Superwoman ripped the Golden Fleece from his shoulders and draped it across her own.

"Now I just happen to recognize this little beauty and now it's mine," she boasted.

Olympian's strength waned as the Amazon's waxed and she quickly subdued him, "Now for…sister dear?"

Superwoman looked around to find Godiva was missing. She snorted in derision, "Some hero."

* * *

"Watch out! She's going to…" Tuatara began to say but Atomica had already shrunk, "Never mind."

Thunderlord clutched his head as he had an Atomica produced stroke. She reappeared after he'd collapsed.

"Now there's no need to…" Tuatara began.

Atomica kicked him in the balls, "What?"

"That," he wheezed before falling over.

* * *

"Remember Kimiyo, only broadcast yellow light wavelengths," Rising Sun advised Dr. Light.

"How could I forget Izumi? I served beside several Green Lanterns," she replied.

They hit Power Ring with everything they could in the yellow light range. She hardly noticed. Jessica Cruz was swept away by nightmares created for her by the Ring of Volthoom as it blinded her to her real opponents with those it fashioned to direct her panicked ire against.

Dr. Light and Rising Sun barely evaded the monstrous constructs flying towards them. Dr. Light began to panic herself, "Izumi! They're immune to the light!"

"Time to employ other methods then, Kimiyo," Rising Sun grimly urged.

Rising Sun resorted to the full might of his solar powers while Dr. Light utilized her photon bursts which were the ultimate expression of her potential. Even then, they barely held out against Power Ring's constructs. And as their fear grew so too did the Ring of Volthoom's power. And it savored every delectable moment of the Japanese heroes' terror.

* * *

"Is that a woman?" the Germanic Wild Huntsman asked Bushmaster.

"Maybe once upon a time," he replied.

"I haven't been reincarnated throughout the ages to back away from a threat because it was a woman once," Wild Huntsman dispatched his hound.

But Blockbuster ripped the jaw off of the hound and it died whimpering. Wild Huntsman spurred his steed on. Blockbuster's fist caved in the horse's head as Wild Huntsman was thrown from the saddle.

Blockbuster grabbed hold of the attacking Bushmaster's throat and crushed his neck, killing him. Wild Huntsman swung his battleaxe but Blockbuster caught it. After crushing the arm, she ripped it from his body. Taking his battleaxe, Rachel Sand clove Wild Huntsman's head in two. She tossed the axe aside and went looking for more excitement.

* * *

"Let's get her," Vapor snarled as she and Echo faced off against Psi.

Vapor transformed into an acidic mist and drifted towards Psi. Echo was Terri Eckhart in civilian life and pop culture. But she was no longer the innocent pop princess she'd been when she'd joined the Conglomerate. The years of concert tours across the world had jaded her. As her barely there leather outfit attested to compared to the modest body suit she'd warn until joining the Justice League.

Vapor didn't know what had changed inside Echo but she desperately wanted to melt whoever was individually or corporately responsible. Psi used her telekinesis to push Vapor towards Echo. Echo had a new attitude but her powers were unaltered. She reflected Vapor back at Psi.

Caught in the squeeze between them, Vapor shifted off to the side. With Vapor's threat temporarily deterred, Psi focused on Echo. Psi reached out with her TK power, which Echo reflected and Psi lifted herself off of the ground.

"I get it," Psi grinned, "Whatever I send at you you send straight back at me. But just how potent is your power?"

"Potent enough," Echo promised. But as Psi was guessing, it was unidirectional and only worked against threats Echo was aware of.

Psi lifted a football size rock from the gardens surrounding the Dome. And then she cracked Echo in the head with it. Echo collapsed and lay on the ground groaning.

"I'll kill you for that," Vapor vowed as she drifted toward Psi again.

"I really don't think so," Psi warned Vapor, "Your attitude was mentioned as being problematic as well as your attachment to Echo here. After all, you helped recruit her first into the Conglomerate then the Global Guardians. But she was the one to talk you into enlisting with the Justice League."

"What's with the résumé?" Vapor wondered. She'd almost reached Psi.

Psi smiled, "Actually, it's an obituary," Psi dispersed Vapor like so much bad gas, "Shoulda traded up in the power department, honey."

* * *

Reverb used his vibration powers to shatter Killer Frost's ice dagger in mid air. Cisco Ramone wasn't the only member of the family to have the gift. While Cisco had become Vibe to genuinely help people. Reverb had joined the Conglomerate for the paycheck. And he'd stayed with his teammates out of a grudging sense of loyalty.

Praxis created a TK shield to prevent his being harmed by Volcana's pyrokinesis. No one had seen Gypsy since she'd camouflaged herself. Killer Frost simply froze a ten foot periphery around and including Reverb. Volcana created a pillar of fire all around Praxis and squeezed it in until he passed out from lack of air and heat exhaustion.

Killer Frost looked around. Volcana asked the obvious question, "Weren't there three of them?"

"Hold the fort," Killer Frost instructed, "I'll find her."

"Who 'her'?" Volcana wondered.

"Our missing JLer," Killer Frost told her, "Her name is Gypsy. She was a teen runaway that ended up joining the original Justice League Unlimited. She quit the JLU to go back home and finish high school. But Despero came to Earth looking for revenge and he killed her parents. After the newly rechristened JLU defeated Despero once and for all, J'onn Jonzz tried getting her reinstated into the UN version of the team. When her application was denied, she wandered for a bit before being recruited to the Conglomerate's corporate super team."

"And then she joined the Global Guardians and now the JLI. Got it," Volcana said dismissively.

"Don't be flippant," Killer Frost tersely warned her, "Her camouflage ability renders her virtually invisible. And she's smart. Very, very smart. She survived Despero's attack long enough to summon help from the JLU. And Despero is a telepath and can see in the UV and infrared ranges."

"So why'd he off her folks?" Volcana finally asked.

"Because Gypsy lobotomized him the first time he came to Earth. No one knew then he'd be able to regenerate like Doomsday," Killer Frost explained, "So his attack was as personal as it could get."

"So you think she's a credible threat," Volcana realized.

"But not for much longer," Killer Frost grinned.

* * *

Maxi-Man used his strength to throw vehicles at Signalman while Dark Ranger dealt with KGBeast. Maxi-Man had to admire Dark Ranger. The man had nothing but his training and natural athleticism to use against KGBeast. And he was knocking the Russian senseless.

"Trade off!" Maxi-Man called. He then crushed KGBeast's gun hand before knocking him out with a left cross.

Signalman had used a fireworks projector mounted in his glove to overload Dark Ranger's optic nerves. The man had been blinded as a result. Maxi-Man stepped in only Signalman did the same thing to him as well.

While the two JLers groped about, Signalman went over and kicked KGBeast in the stomach, "You and that stupid gun."

* * *

Blue Beetle flipped and jumped all around Count Vertigo, taunting him all the while. Vertigo removed his inducer from his belt and triggered it. Blue Beetle collapsed onto the pavement and retched his guts up.

"You shouldn't have annoyed me so much," Count Vertigo warned Blue Beetle as Ted Kord found he couldn't even get off the pavement much less stand and fight.

* * *

Booster Gold was in the air battling Sparrow Hawk. Booster's LSH flight ring allowed him to fly and a certain degree of maneuverability but Sparrow Hawk was a creature of the air. She flew evasive patterns all around Booster while he lamely tried to clip her with a gauntlet mounted proton blaster.

He spotted Blue Beetle's difficulty, "Ted!"

Sparrow Hawk ran her sword through his abdomen. As she kicked off away from him and her wings beat to gain her lift, "Distractions will kill you, Booster. And I certainly will."

Booster sank to the ground and his knees buckled and he abruptly found himself sitting on his haunches. Sparrow Hawk landed before him and lifted his chin with the flat of her blade, "Give me a reason not to kill you."

"Because I'm cute and I know the future," Booster weakly said.

"You're not _that_ cute and I already have sources on the future," Sparrow Hawk smirked, "So I guess you're out of luck."

The Thanagarian drew back her sword in a two handed grip and Booster just defiantly stared her down.

* * *

"How many of him are there?" Goldstar asked as she used magnetic blasts to render Multiplexes into dissolving crystals.

"As many as he wishes until we render the original inert," Starman informed her as his solar blasts blew Multiplex doppelgangers apart.

"And how do we do that?" Goldstar asked in frustration.

"Follow me," Starman began to lift off the ground but the various Multiplexes dragged him back down, "Or maybe not."

"This is pointless," Goldstar fumed.

"These things frequently are," Starman said dismally.

She knew Starman was still grieving for the loss of his husband. But Goldstar also knew it wasn't the time to give in to despair. But before she could say anything, Multiplexes jumped all over Starman and beat him into the ground.

More of them took hold of Goldstar and dragged her to the ground as well before smothering her so that she passed out.

* * *

Shrapnel's opening "salvo" perforated Red Tornado. Firestorm began to panic as Shrapnel slowly began to reassemble himself.

"Crap, Professor. I don't know anything on how to reassemble Reddy. We're on our own," Firestorm spoke to his disembodied other half.

 _Easy, Ronald,_ Martin Stein spoke only in Firestorm's head, _Do not forget about Shrapnel's companion._

Giganta suddenly grew ten stories tall and tried swiping Firestorm out of them air. As he flew around in a vaguely evasive pattern, she connected. Firestorm bounced off the pavement and found himself between her legs. Looking up, he got quite a view.

"Geez, lady! Trying wearing some underwear. Think about the kids for God's sake," Firestorm ranted.

"Kids like show and tell," Giganta giggled, "It's the law of nature. You've seen mine now show me yours."

"I'm not gonna…" Firestorm's protest ended when she clapped him with both hands. He hit the pavement below and Professor Stein tried to focus him as Giganta stepped on Firestorm, _Try and focus, Ronald. You need to devise a way out. You need to…_

Giganta stomped on Firestorm crushing him enough to end his internal debate. Then she shrank down to her usual seven foot tall height. She idly waited while Shrapnel pulled himself together. And she decided to see just what Firestorm had in his pants.

* * *

Black Bat dueled Darkwing while Batwing faced El Diablo. Cassandra Cain and Darkwing were both products of the League of Assassins. Their combat was brutal, swift, and unyielding.

Despite Black Bat's superiority in skill, Darkwing still felt it was beneath his dignity to face a woman in combat. A sentiment he'd had not quite beaten out of him by Cassandra's mother, Lady Shiva. And now the daughter was continuing the family legacy.

Batwing fought El Diablo as the boxer brought all of his skills to the fore. But he wasn't bringing Batwing down. But the African police detective knew something had changed with El Diablo. He'd shaved his head and covered his head in a skull-like tattoo and the rest of his body with bone tattoos.

"What's… _uh_.. up… _unf_ …with… _ugh_ …the tattoos?" Batwing asked between blows.

El Diablo stepped back, "Yeah, that. I guess I should show you since the old methods aren't working."

"You have new methods?" Batwing was curious. El Diablo had begun his career as a prizefighter and then become a masked vigilante. A murder conviction had brought him to Belle Reeve Prison where the Suicide Squad had recruited him. Before sending him back to Belle Reeve and into the arms of the Legion of Doom.

Flames enveloped El Diablo's body and he ignited Batwing's flight pack. Batwing removed the pack but it exploded and knocked him unconscious. His body armor had saved him from greater harm.

Black Bat leveled Darkwing with a backspin kick. He was obviously reeling so El Diablo intervened by surrounding her with a column of fire and causing her to pass out. Darkwing was irate.

"The kill was mine!" he grated.

"Actually, it looked like it was hers, _jefe_ ," El Diablo replied, "And as our new partners requested, she ain't dead. But if you try and harm her before she's collected, I'll show you God's special place for those that rape and kill helpless women and teenagers. And when I'm done, I'm sure our benefactors will want a piece of your tail too."

Darkwing fumed but he lapsed into a sullen silence.

* * *

Ultraman came upon the Super Friends and knew he should deal with them. Black Vulcan opened hostilities by stunning Ultraman. But the Kryptonian marched on Black Vulcan until he could hit him and knock the JLer out.

Samurai tried to burn away the oxygen from Ultraman and suffocate him. But Ultraman held his breath and then used a puff of ultra breath to bounce Samurai off of a nearby building. Using ultra speed, he reached Samurai and knocked him out as well.

That left Apache Chief. The JLer lightened his atomic density to Ultraman originally went through him when he threw a punch. As Ultraman whirled around to reengage, Apache Chief tightened his density so he was diamond hard.

His punch into Ultraman's nose actually drew blood. Ultraman merely grinned and unloaded a right cross that split Apache Chief's skin at the neck. A second and third blow added to the injury. Apache Chief realized if he endured another strike his neck was crack in half and he would be beheaded.

Reverting his density to its lowest point would probably detach his head as well since it would effectively phase off of his shoulders. So Apache Chief reverted to human norms and the wound began to heal. But Ultraman knocked him out anyway just to be safe.

Ultraman knew his mother and fathers would be proud of him.

* * *

King Shark ravaged El Gaucho and Wingman. Despite their being the greatest heroes their respective countries had too offer, and being formerly affiliated with Batman, Inc. they lacked Batman's intense drive and impossible skill set. But despite his growing appetite, King Shark didn't feed on them or maim them. His claws had left marks that would scar over but he figured those would be conversation pieces. With the two heroes subdued, King Shark started counting down until his next meal. Which would have to be soon or he would eat his two victims.

* * *

The Knight knew Black Spider by reputation. Batman had briefed every member of Batman, Inc. on the former vigilante. Black Spider had targeted drug dealers and operated as a hit man to finance his war on drugs. Eventually he'd been captured and subsequently volunteered to join the Suicide Squad.

But there were fourteen months of Black Spider's life that were unaccounted for. And it seemed Black Spider had studied ninjitsu during that period. Because rather than stand off at a remote distance and kill the Knight and Squire, he engaged them face to face.

And the Knight realized his son was inadequately trained as the Squire to face a foe like Black Spider. Beryl Hutchison would have provided a real challenge to the Black Spider but mercifully, Black Spider used a nerve pinch to stun the Squire rather than toy with him.

The Knight didn't go down anywhere as easily. Black Spider found himself respecting the Brit's tenacity. But he did fall nonetheless.

Saturn Queen had spoken into Black Spider's mind and revealed she knew his ultimate ambitions. While captured and tortured by Basilisk, he'd eventually come to see the legitimacy of their cause. So he'd returned to the United States and allowed himself to be captured for the sole purpose of joining the Suicide Squad.

But he'd been rejected by Waller from joining Checkmate. So he was going to kill and betray a number of people within the Legion in order to validate his recruitment into Checkmate. Afterwards he would lure Checkmate and the Justice League of America to Basilisk's Mexican headquarters and let Regulus deal with them directly.

Saturn Queen merely added names to his target list and she wanted an invitation to meet Regulus after it was done. Basilisk could have a place in the new world order the LSV Founders were putting together _if_ Regulus had the wisdom to enlist. And she wanted Majestic's location from Regulus.

* * *

Man-of-Bats and Raven Red were formidable against threats across the Native American Nations but a meta like Blockbuster was plainly out of their weight class. Still, they'd fought well before Blockbuster carefully rendered them unconscious. She'd already been mentally reamed by Saturn Queen over the losses of Wild Huntsman and Bushmaster and frankly she didn't know if she could survive a second "object lesson".

* * *

Mr. Miracle stunned the Hood with a gas grenade while he weaved in and around his opponents on his hover discs. Nightrunner proved almost impossible to run to ground, so Mr. Miracle bracketed him with a salvo of stun grenades. Scott Free had been very impressed with the Arab's stamina and agility.

Mr. Unknown proved more difficult because of his stealth suit but Mr. Miracle's Mother Box tracked him down and Mr. Miracle barraged him with gas grenades. Mr. Miracle didn't believe in lethal weaponry despite being raised on Apokolips. But he also condemned lethal force even in the war between New Genesis and Apokolips. A view Barda respected but couldn't fathom and made his self imposed exile on Earth tolerable to his father, Izaya the Highfather of New Genesis.

Mr. Miracle didn't expect his fallen opponents to get up anytime soon but he bound their wrists just to be safe. Atom joined him momentarily.

"How did it go?" Mr. Miracle asked.

"I ended up against Fire and Ice. No pun intended but they simply froze," Atom chuckled, "I took Fire down with a series of punches. I had to create a stroke in Ice to bring her down."

"Will be any permanent damage?" Mr. Miracle worried what the LSV Founders would say and do if there were.

"Scott, she's an ice goddess," Atom reminded him, "She's as resilient as a New God. So no, I don't expect there to be any permanent after effects."

"I'd say that's a good thing," Mr. Miracle stressed, "For you."

Atom realized he was probably right.

* * *

Jet thought her electromagnetic abilities would easily overwhelm Lightning Lord. She had no inkling what his abilities were but he laughably supposed the lightning crests on his uniform should have given something away. His own electrical abilities stunned her. Manticore tried to use brute force and endurance to squash him but his lightning powers nearly electrocuted the man. Mekt knew only his brother, Garth, and sister, Ayla, would ever have powers to compare to his. And even then they were weak shadows.

Cascade converted her body to water and she doused Lightning Lord in an effort to short circuit his powers. But the Indonesian woman discovered he was immune to his own powers as he channeled voltage through her. She passed out and reverted to her human state at his feet.

* * *

Freedom Beast merged a cat and a dog and pitted the hybrid against Saturn Queen. She waved a finger in the air and it fell asleep. Freedom Beast's eyes went blank and he attacked his teammate, Fleur-de-Lis. But Fleur-de-Lis' years as a covert operations soldier worked to her favor and she quickly bested Freedom Beast. But then she bent the knee before Saturn Queen.

"Command me, my Queen," she implored.

"Hold that thought," Saturn Queen requested.

"Neat trick but it won't help you against Chrysalis," Templar Knight laughed at her.

"No, I can't affect a robotic mind. But you can do my work for me," she commanded.

Sandstorm turned into sand and blew around and into Chrysalis. He embedded himself into her joints and she started grinding to a halt. Templar Knight and Fleur-de-Lis literally began tearing the robot apart.

Before she deactivated, Chrysalis deployed her synthetic butterflies and they stung her two physical attackers into unconsciousness. Sandstorm's current silicate state was beyond her capability. But the butterflies deactivated as Chrysalis did.

"She could prove to be a useful machine," Saturn Queen mused.

Only Seraph, Centrix, and Tundra still opposed her. She discounted Centrix out of hand. She could see in his mind he'd been a hotshot advertising exec who'd then founded his own agency before stepping down from active participation to train as a superhero in order to relieve the tedium of his life. It sounded a lot like the worst of her Legion of Super Villain members. So she turned him against Seraph.

Bitter winds attacked Saturn Queen as Tundra brought snow flurries to Paris. But the Russian fought Saturn Queen in her mind as well. But she broke as so many others had before her.

Afterwards it just took "persuading" to convince Seraph to abandon Jehovah for her.

* * *

Belphegor monitored the situation from the heart of the Dome's command center. She'd gotten Ulla away and Godiva had received instructions as well. Vapor was lost to any detection.

And she sensed J'onn's mind even before a phased into the room. She swiveled her chair to face him and rose, "I was expecting you."

"Then you know there is no hope for you," J'onn stated rather than asked.

"There's always hope, you Martian moron," Belphegor projected all of her mentalist might into J'onn's brain. But wasn't an attack. It was merely a suggestion. A suggestion that would hopefully bear fruit in dark days.

J'onn used his fist to quell Belphegor's little one woman uprising. Then he draped her over his shoulder and carried her out into the streets.

Unnoticed by J'onn, Gypsy dropped her camouflage and took Belphegor's place at the control systems.

* * *

Superman came to Dr. Mist's meditation chamber, "Doctor, it's time to meet some people."

"I'd rather not," Dr. Mist sighed, "I rather know their type. Would you care for some tea or coffee?"

"If you won't come willingly I will make you come," Superman warned him.

"You will try, won't you?" Dr. Mist asked dismally.

Despite Superman's vulnerability to magic, he still fought hard enough to destroy the meditation chamber, several storage units, and most of the JLI's training center before Dr. Mist finally bound him up with magic.

"Bravo, Doctor," Saturn Queen clapped her hands in appreciation, "You've neutralized one of the two greatest heroes of this age. Any age actually."

Lightning Lord jolted him with enough electricity to stun Superman. But Dr. Mist had a counter spell prepared to deflect the barrage, "I'll never surrender to the likes of you."

"Pity, you don't even know what are our likes are," Saturn Queen broke into a smile, "Let me show you and then you can decide."

Dr. Mist stiffened, went rigid, and fell over. His magic manacles evaporated and Superman was liberated.

"Eve?" Lightning Lord looked uncertain.

"It seems he had a mental conditioning that he'd prepared in case a highly skilled telepath entered his mind. I fear I've broken him," she shrugged, "Too bad. He would have been useful. Kal-El, be a dear and carry the good Doctor outside."

"Of course, my Queen," Superman bowed.

"I could really learn to like this," Lightning Lord chuckled.

"It only gets better from here," Saturn Queen promised him.


	7. Chapter 7

23

Spyral had moved into the World Army's underground complexes beneath Hartford, Connecticut. It was to this nerve center that Ulla Paske found herself passed onto after navigating the bureaucracy in the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The switchboard supervisor relayed Little Mermaid's call there and once again she began the climb as she anxiously paced about in the secure terminal at Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris.

After a good forty-five minutes, Ulla reached Spyral's pinnacle and was speaking directly with Director Katherine Webb-Kane. Katherine urged the Little Mermaid to remain calm above all else, "I need you to describe exactly what transpired before, in and outside, the Dome. The ISA is collecting reports from the French police but we're gathering some conflicting accounts. Your first hand knowledge could prove to be invaluable."

Ulla did her best and then requested that Spyral send agents to Paris, _"I know Agent Grayson has direct experience dealing with the Legion of Doom. As Nightwing he fought them when he served in the Justice League Unlimited before they lost their UN sanction."_

"But I'm afraid Agent 37 is already on a mission," Katherine told her, "The Legion has mounted multiple attacks across the globe staged across several hours. The attack in Paris coincided with an attack here in Gotham. Previously they had struck at Philadelphia, Coast City, and the Gem Cities. Those attacks concluded prior to the assault on the Dome. But as you personally witnessed, they reaped the reward of persuading the JLU into joining with the Legion before marching on Paris."

" _So Agent Grayson is leading the mission in Gotham? He's ideally suited for that as well,"_ Ulla boasted of her lover's capabilities.

"Ms. Paske, I know you and Agent 37 are…intimate. So let me advise you of one thing: I do not take mission recommendations from personnel outside my agency regardless of their United Nations' affiliations," Katherine said sternly, "Agent 37 is serving under Matron's guidance for the duration of this mission."

She heard Ulla's sharp intake of breath and grew angry, "Agent 37 does not have the necessary field command experience to lead this mission."

" _But Dick led the original Teen Titans before leading missions with the JLU,"_ Ulla protested.

"And the original Teen Titans were defunct within three years of their founding, even before Agent Grayson switched out his Robin persona for the Nightwing identity," Katherine grated, "And _Nightwing_ led exactly _one_ JLU mission in Chicago, to mixed results according to the official reports."

Katherine could hear Ulla's angry breathing, "Matron, on the other hand, has successfully led nearly a dozen missions in her five year tenure with Spyral. All of these missions have been resounding successes, including the two she conducted with Agent 37 under her leadership. So don't think for one moment I have under- or overestimated anyone in my agency. And if you say one more damn word, I will pull Agent 37's ass off his mission before he can deploy. Understood?"

" _But Agent Grayson and Agent Wayne have…personal issues,"_ Ulla reminded Katherine.

"And they'll either work through their familial difficulties or die trying," Katherine advised Ulla.

" _I'd prefer they'd avoid dying,"_ Ulla said dryly.

"Me too," Katherine confessed, "But these things have a way of resolving themselves when the individuals are under fire."

" _And our situation?"_ Ulla asked.

Katherine appreciated that Ulla thought in the terms of a team plural but also knew the Little Mermaid wouldn't like her answer, "The Justice League of America and the JSA All Stars are en route to you. A fact you must be cognizant of or you wouldn't be at the airport. They'll have the combined might and firepower to liberate the Justice League International from the Legion."

" _And if they end up brainwashed like the JLU?"_ Ulla asked.

"The teams I mentioned or the JLI?" Katherine asked.

" _All of the above,"_ Ulla grimly answered.

"Then heaven help us all," Katherine shared Ulla's mood. She hung up and moments later Ulla got a call. It was from the Dome's command center. Gypsy remained free and was reporting the Legion's activities to the ISA.

* * *

Spyral utilized a wide variety of aircraft and vehicles to insert agents into hot zones. These included service types from across the world in almost every conceivable branch of service. Today's excursion was happening in a CH-53 Pavelow transport helicopter preferred by the US Air Force, US Army, and US Marine Corps to insert special operations personnel. And, in an added bonus for Spyral, the craft was being flown and manned by agents of Blackhawk Express.

Blackhawk had the sticks and Lady Blackhawk was his co-pilot. Nikki Nemzer and Randall Wildman manned the weapons and communications stations respectively. Attila and Irishman manned the guns in the rear. Blackhawk's wife, Galatea Hamilton, was also known to the world as Power Girl. And she and the JLA were running from one consecutive mission to another today. Frankly, Blackhawk felt like watching something get blown up.

In the rear, Matron was giving her mission outline based upon reports coming in from the Gotham City Police Department of which Legionnaires were involved in the attack. And it seemed to simply be an attack since no demands had yet been made. Each member of her team was assigned to a particular Legionnaire or cluster of Legionnaires.

Dick Grayson tried to listen patiently as Helena Wayne switched topics, "There have been no sightings of Batman. Apparently he's finally turned coward and stayed at home, pressing his tights."

Dick knew Helena didn't know Bruce Wayne was Batman or the comments would have been even more scathing. She was Lincoln March's daughter. Lincoln had been presumably killed in the womb in the car crash that nearly took Martha Wayne's life. Instead, she'd carried out the pregnancy in seclusion at a private clinic. Upon giving birth, Martha gave Lincoln up for adoption. And so he had been raised by the March family.

No one knew that the Court of Owls had revealed his true parentage to him. They fed his bitter hated of the Wayne family after the revelation. And he had recently confronted Bruce Wayne with the truth of his existence. Upon confirmation by DNA testing, Bruce tried to reconcile with Lincoln. But Lincoln wanted nothing to do with Bruce but everything to do with his sizeable share of the inheritance.

Of course, the legalities were murky at best but Bruce made a generous offer and Lincoln inherited a third of the Wayne estate. Most of which Lincoln then sold to Derek Powers to enable Powers' hostile takeover of Wayne Enterprises. Now Derek Powers ran the reinvented Wayne-Powers Enterprises and Bruce subsided off the remaining two-thirds of his trust fund.

Helena had been raised to hate the Wayne family for their "crimes" against Lincoln. But she'd proudly changed her name from March to Wayne, stating, "I'm truly a Wayne so everyone had better damn well get used to it."

She knew Dick was Bruce's ward. She also knew Dick had as great a resentment towards Bruce as she did. But she still rebuffed his every effort to reconcile or even be friendly. Their joint missions had been professional successes and personal failures.

A red light flooded the cabin and Irishman announced, "We're five minutes out. Take your positions."

The Ukrainian lowered the rear ramp and then manned his gun. He and Attila chambered their weapons at the same time. No one knew how hot the landing zone was going to be so they were prepared for the very worst. There was a bump after the wheels deployed and the light turned green.

"Go! Go! Go!" Irishman yelled at Spyral. And the team deployed.

* * *

The Legion moved throughout downtown Gotham. Still recovering from the Court of Owls recent alliance with Nyssa al Ghul's Injusticers, two-thirds of the GCPD was currently medically declared unfit for duty. State Police and County Sheriffs' deputies were filling in for the off duty officers as well as off duty NYPD officers specially deputized as reservists. The President had personally declared Gotham a national disaster and FEMA funds had been released to assist in the repairs and the staffing issues. Gotham, like so many banks during the recession, had been declared "too big to fail."

Major Force was near the GCPD headquarters in order to knock helicopters and dirigibles out of the sky. His secondary objective was to force the newly appointed police commissioner into lighting the Bat Signal. Only, Barbara Gordon had done what her father would never do, and Maggie Sawyer didn't dare do, despite her venomous loathing of all things Batman. Barbara had dismantled the signal and removed it from the roof.

Barbara could see the validity of costumed heroes, in as much as they operated with legal sanction as officers of the law. Bruce would never comply so he was outdated in her opinion. His roughshod ways were a tinge of Gotham's past and not its future. The GCPD was the city's future now. And she would insure the future was bright for the people of Gotham the very same way her father had cleaned out the bulk of the police corruption when he became commissioner.

The Riddler had taken over a wing at Gotham's chief telecom hub and was using the servers to blanket the internet and social media with riddles designed to lure Batman downtown. Outside the building, Query and Echo controlled traffic in and out of the building. Basically it was a transit freeze in place. Which suited all of the players in question.

Psycho Pirate and Killer Croc were using their powers and appearance to drum up mass hysteria and general looting. Major Disaster added to the panic by creating ground quakes that shook buildings and shattered windows. Big Sir stood over him like a gargantuan bodyguard.

Bronze Tiger prowled rooftops and alleyways looking for the best approaches Batman might use to intervene. Tala used her sorcery to try and divine Batman's current whereabouts. And above them all, Cosmic King's flight ring let him lord it over the cityscape as he waited for the Dark Knight to arrive. But he didn't expect to almost be killed by the Blackhawk Express helicopter nearly clipping him with its rotors.

Cursing Major Force's incompetence, Cosmic King chemically altered the helicopter's rotors so that they peeled and flaked away under the stress. Cosmic King saw Blackhawk was still going to manage a survivable crash so he employed his magnetic powers in addition to his transmutation abilities.

Like all Braalians, he'd been born with the ability to control magnetism. Braal was a world filled with heavy elements so the abilities had proven useful in carving out habitable niches. It wasn't until Laevar Bolto had worked as a scientist on Venus that he'd accidently endowed himself his mastery over chemicals.

In response, the authorities had panicked. In part because of the havoc Laevar could unleash if so inspired and the other part was because of the recent slaughter of the people of Trom over their similar powers over elements. Roxxas had carved an infamous niche in history by successfully executing a mass genocide with a lone survivor. And that survivor was the equally famous Jan Arrah, known to the universe as Element Lad of the Legion of Superheroes.

Laevar went on the run but only after skirmishes with the Science Police. Those skirmishes grew in intensity as they pursued him across the United Planets. Dozens of officers had been killed and dozens of civilians had been collateral damage. That was when Mekt Ranzz had found him.

Mekt's sibling, Garth, had been a member of the founding Legion trio, Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, and Saturn Girl. Mekt, Garth, and their sister, Ayla, had all received their electrical powers at the same time. But they'd later discovered Mekt had received a greater portion of the ability.

Mekt had left the agricultural world of Winath to seek his own fortune on his own terms. Garth had left to find Mekt and stumbled into the assassination plot that brought him galactic fame. Ayla had remained on Winath until Garth apparently died and taken his place as Lightning Lass.

Ayla's powers had been modified so she remained with the Legion as Light Lass after Garth returned. But Mekt had eventually kidnapped her after she finally quit and jolted her until her true powers returned. And then the giddy trollop had rejoined Garth's Legion to take his place once again.

But in the beginning, Mekt joined forces with Laevar and Eve Aries came to them with an idea that would change galactic fortunes. Eve had found them through the simple might she had to troll the minds of trillions until she found Mekt and Laevar's location. Then they set out to create a rival Legion of Super Villains founded by a Lightning Lord, a Cosmic King, and a Saturn Queen. Their one unyielding goal was to reshape the future into a galaxy of their making. And now, the LSV would alter history to crush the LSH before it was ever created, and never would be. Batman was merely a bump in a road that would stretch a thousand years and beyond.

* * *

Matron pulled Agent 21 aside, "Agent Kane, our task is to deal with Major Force. Are you prepared?"

"Of course," Bette Kane angrily replied.

"Don't get uppity," Matron snapped, "Your stint as Flamebird left a lot to be desired. You're impetuous, prone to rash judgment, and ill prepared on most occasions."

"So Protector's death proved," Bette snapped back at her.

"This isn't a game where the prize is a man's affections," Matron scowled, "This is about life and death. My life. My death. You, on the other hand, can fend for yourself."

"You ever wonder why everyone hates you? It's pep talks like these," Bette said coldly, "Don't worry, I won't screw up and get you killed."

"You'd better not. I don't care how your family is related to Director Kane. They'll pay a price if your incompetence kills me," Matron warned.

Bette was glad for the active recorder in her sleeve pocket. Aunt Katherine would be very interested in Matron's undisguised threats against the extended family. Matron gave her one last glare.

"Be sure," she ordered and then sprinted out into the open. Using an antiproton rifle, Matron secured Major Force's attention and held it as she ran across the street.

Bette hefted the launcher she'd lugged off of the helicopter and took aim at Major Force's back. Firing, the bulbous projectile unleashed a vest-like aperture that clamped all around Major Force's torso. It bored a hole in the back of his containment suit and began bleeding his sentient energy matrix away.

"What the…?" Major Force tugged at the vest to get it to release, "Oh, hell no. I'm not some punk Captain Atom you can do this to!"

He volleyed quantum blasts at Bette. Matron opened fire to draw his attention back towards. He turned her way again.

"You want a piece of me?" he snarled, "Fine, I'll bring it!"

And he unleashed his full might at Matron.

* * *

Dick and Plastic Man were assigned to apprehending Major Disaster and Big Sir. A nearly impossible take when one considered Major Disaster literally created "natural" disasters and Big Sir, though infantile, could lift one of Gotham's smaller multistory buildings.

"Stay back," Major Disaster advised, "I haven't just been making ground quakes here."

Dick nodded at Plas and they split up. Major Disaster shook his head, "Precisely the wrong move, fellas. I get freaked out and bad things happen. I get knocked out and worse things start to happen and I won't be awake to stop them."

"Like what?" Dick asked as Agent 37 circled Major Disaster and Big Sir, causing them to turn with him.

"I've been shifting magma past the tectonic plates the city sits on," Major Disaster described despite knowing it wouldn't do any good with this type of do-gooder, "I'm the only thing standing between Gotham and a volcanic eruption."

Plastic Man looped and arm around Disaster. The ground began shaking and the streets swelled and cracked as magma began to push out of the cracks. Plas withdrew his arm.

"I hate to say it, chief. But he's telling the truth," Plastic Man commented.

"What kind of sick psycho arranges this kind of disaster?" Dick was outraged.

"It's in the name, pal," Major Disaster huffed, "And I thought it would be a good 'get out of jail free' card."

"Can it be reversed or is this a budding B-movie disaster waiting to happen when you leave town?" Dick sighed.

"I can reverse it whenever," Major Disaster promised, "But I won't if I'm trussed up and I certainly can't if I'm unconscious. The deal is when my partners finish up, Big Sir and I walk."

"No one mentioned him," Dick growled.

"He hasn't done anything but sit here and empty out that ice cream truck," Major Disaster protested, "You want to arrest him for petty theft then feel free. But don't be surprised when Mt. Vesuvius lands on your doorstep."

Dick was back to glaring again and Major Disaster shrugged, "Look, I see you've got some kind of pull here to be showing up with Plastic Man and all. All I'm saying is Big Sir and I go free and unmolested and we return everyone's life back to as normal as it gets in this burg."

"You said it, Major Man," Big Sir cheered him on.

"Honestly, you can arrest him?" Major Disaster asked.

"Fine, you'll go unmolested," Dick decided.

"Waitaminute…!" Major Disaster could smell treachery in the air.

Plastic Man formed a cage around Big Sir and even his immense strength couldn't break it, "Major Man! Haaalp!"

Major Disaster knew enough to roll with Dick's flying kick but he was still angry as he was grabbed by the tunic and threatened with a drawn back fist, "Smooth move, _hero_."

Ground quakes shattered windows and nearly knocked everyone off of their feet. Civilians panicked and flooded the streets and eruptions spouted up in their buildings' basements. But they only reached the streets to find magma oozing out of the blistering streets.

"Congratulations," Major Disaster dryly applauded Dick's decision.

* * *

Mr. Minos' facial feature mask contorted until he looked identical to the Clock King. He put on the spectacles he'd brought for the occasion. Then he applied a preprogrammed voce changer to his throat and applied the artificial flesh across it. Buttoning his shirt collar and affixing his tie, he effectively disguised the apparatus.

"How do I sound?" Mr. Minos asked Penny O'Brien.

"Ya'll are a dead ringer," Plastic Man's wife assured him, "Go get `em."

"Hopefully I can avoid the whole dead aspect," Mr. Minos said dryly as he emerged out of the alley and strolled towards where Query and Echo stood vigil.

They challenged him and it ended with them taking his picture and sending it on to the Riddler. Penny and Nancy Morgan held their breath until Mr. Minos was obviously passed to go on to visit the Riddler.

"So far so good, I guess," Penny heaved a sigh of relief.

"I can't believe Eel married you much less had a baby with you," Morgan complained.

"Well, Ah can't believe he evah dated you, crook or no crook," Penny replied, "Ya'll can be such a…"

"Bitch?" Morgan asked, "Have the love of your life supposedly die then turn up alive but abandoning you like you never existed. After that, talk to me about it."

"But ya'll don't have to be a bitch over it," Penny chided her, "It's a choice not a necessity."

"I just see Eel happy with you in a way he never was with me," Morgan sulked, "It just…hurts."

"Plas told me he was a real self absorbed jerk back in the day," Penny shared, "Ya'll were lucky to get out from underneath him. Back then, he didn't have anything good to offer anyone. It took being left for dead for him to realize it."

"They told me he'd died but I found a note written afterwards explaining he had to leave and not to look for him. And to get out of Chicago," Morgan stated, "Then the FBI raided the hell out of the mob after I left and I figured Eel must have turned informant."

"That how you ended up with Spyral?" Penny had wanted to ask.

"Hell, no," Morgan softly chuckled, "I went blonde and then to the FBI. After I graduated from Quantico I did the dirt assignments until I ended up with the Counterterrorist Taskforce instead of Organized Crime."

Morgan wore a slight frown, "I joined up to find out what happened to Eel and I ended getting an invitation to join Spyral. So after six years with the FBI, I joined the United Nations Intelligence Division. And that's when I learned Patrick "Eel" O'Brien was now Plastic Man and he was part of the International Security Agency after serving with you and Hula Hula in the precursor simply called 'the Agency'. And he was still with you in all the ways that counted."

Morgan sounded desolate but Penny didn't know how to comfort her, "Plas never really talked `bout his past. He never mentioned girlfriends or women from before Ah met him even though Ah knew there had to have been some."

"Not even a footnote," Morgan snorted, "Pathetic."

"Ya'll coulda made quite a fuss over Plas, Hula, and Ah joinin' Spyral but all you did was make that one play for him. And even then it was at Director's Kane's askin'. Ah'm actually kinda glad ya'll did `cause know Ah know mah man is truly mine," Penny said gratefully.

"It was actually my idea to tempt Eel," Morgan confessed.

"Plas," Penny finally started correcting her.

"Yeah, Plas," Morgan said absentmindedly. Their watch dial faces began to flash, "That's our signal."

"Ready?" Penny asked.

"More than ever. Thanks," Morgan admitted, "You still want to be the one to approach?"

"Hey, normally Ah'm stuck flyin' a plane. If Ah'm gonna be on the ground, Ah wanna contribute," Penny assured her.

"Well, you are Eel…Plas' baby mama. I'd hate to be blamed if you get killed," Morgan half kidded.

"Nope, Ah'm ready to roll," Penny promised, "Just be sure ya'll got mah back."

Morgan took up position where she could provide cover fire, "Go. I've got this."

"See ya," Penny began strolling down the sidewalk, trying to look inconspicuous between ground quakes and magma oozes…while carrying a submachine gun and wearing tactical body armor.

"Hey Peroxide! Where do you think you're going?" Query shouted at Penny.

"Ya'll should talk," Penny retorted, "Ya'll may be a few shades darker but your blonde's from a bottle same as mine."

Echo laughed, "I can't believe she went there on you, Deidre."

"I'll teach her some manners, Nina. Wait and see," Query promised, "Hey, honey. Step over here."

Nina Damfino knew the former dominatrix had a special "apology" in mind to extract from Penny, "If you hadn't noticed, she's packing weaponry and full tactical gear. She's obviously a cop of some kind."

"Which is why she has thirty seconds to drop everything and strip naked," Query warned Penny aloud, "After that, she can squeal all she wants once I get a gag ball strapped to her mouth."

Penny dove behind a nearby abandoned taxi. Query was livid, "She dared to disobey me? Oh, I'm going to punish her for days."

Morgan opened fire and Query ducked behind one of the colonnades lining the telecom's entrance, "Hot damn! Another bleached blonde with a gun. Shit! I'm so horny I'm wet."

Echo knew her partner's tastes. They were the same for male and female alike. She liked blondes, just not natural blondes. A fact that had kept the raven haired Echo from bleaching her hair despite Query's frequent demands. Penny and Morgan were Query's turn on's for the day. God help them.

* * *

Mr. Minos had been successfully directed to the Riddler by the terrified telecom employees. Riddler swiveled around to confront his supposed "ally", "Clock King, Old Man. What brings you home to our nefarious city?"

"Luthor wants an update," Mr. Minos lied.

Riddler rose to his feet and pulled a pistol out of his jacket, "You look right and even sound right. But your speech patterns are all off. The real Clock King would have bored me with pedantic description of how long it had taken him to arrive at this location, stop by stop, second by second. And Luthor's request would have been accompanied by a meticulously precise time limit to provide it in."

Riddler leered at Mr. Minos, "So now you'll provide me with a reason to wound you rather than kill you outright."

* * *

Agent 1 led Agents 8 and 33 against the Psycho Pirate. Psycho Pirate looked extremely bored, "Please, guns?"

"By the law enforcement authority ceded our agency by the United States government and all appropriate treaties therein, I'm placing under arrest in the name of the United Nations," Agent 1 rattled off.

"See? Boring," Psycho Pirate said dismissively. He yawned and the three agents inexplicably yawned after him and grew drowsy.

Then Psycho Pirate looked terrified and they were terrified as well as he shouted, "He's got a gun and he's going to kill you! Shoot him quick!"

And the three Spyral agents killed each other. Psycho Pirate snorted his disdain, "Amateurs."

* * *

Tala found herself confronted by Agents 2, 19, and 25. Tala was also insulted, "They send hapless mortals against me? Me?"

"Surrender and you'll be deported to stand trial before the World Court," Agent 2 explained.

"I really don't think so," Tala's Eastern European accent thickened as she grew more annoyed.

"Raise your hands and place them behind your head and then get to your knees," Agent 2 demanded.

"I'm sure you'd like me to be on my knees," Tala raised her hands but they glowed with eldritch energy, "But here are my hands. Still want them?"

"Extinguish the…whatever and place your hands behind your head or we will open fire," Agent 2 warned her.

Tala shrugged, "So open fire."

She made a gesture with her hands as they fired. The bullets would seemingly disappear mere feet from the barrels they launched from and then reappeared closer to strike the shooter. And the guns fired on their own until they were out of rounds.

The three Spyral agents were all wounded but still grasping at life. Tala opened a portal beneath them, "Say hello to Surtur for me."

They fell into Limbo to become pawns of the fire demons' intransigent wars. Tala snickered, "You can't blame me. I raised my hands just as you asked."

* * *

Bronze Tiger faced down the enigmatic Spyder. Spyder's all black body glove and mask was festooned with all types of weapons. Yet Bronze Tiger could tell by the man's movements that he himself was a living weapon. Exactly the type of challenge Bronze Tiger enjoyed.

Few members of Spyral even knew Spyder existed. Fewer still realized he was a relic from the agency's founding. Spyder had been Agent Zero's top agent for several decades. And Spyder's continued existence was a result of Agent Zero's brutal, and highly illegal, experimentations in organ transfers and genetic modifications to prolong life.

In exchange for keeping Agent Zero's Nazi past hidden, Spyder was allowed to partake of the benefits of the experiments just as he was the agent that gathered the donors. With Agent Zero exposed and his work shut down, Spyder had to prove his relevance to the Board of Directors that governed Spyral. In particular he had to assuage the newly appointed Katherine Webb-Kane, Agent Zero's own daughter.

Spyder prevailed by knowing where every skeleton was buried and how to exhume them. His vast wealth of experience was invaluable to a political appointee with familial baggage. Spyder became Katherine's principle advisor on every facet of the myriad missions Spyral engaged in every day. And he personally undertook high value missions. He rarely worked with teams but the illusion of Matron being in charge suited Spyder while Katherine had left the real authority in his hands.

It had been some years since Spyder faced an opponent of Ben Turner's caliber. And Spyder's age was beginning to show now that he was bereft of Agent Zero's handiwork. He knew that only one of the two men would live through this duel and Spyder fully intended to be that man, despite Bronze Tiger's relative youth and years of training by the League of Assassins.

Bronze Tiger had been a friend, a rival, and an opponent of both Richard Dragon and Lady Shiva. It was Turner's betrayal that had effectively crippled Dragon. Lady Shiva had not avenged Dragon because Ra's al Ghul had selected her has Bronze Tiger's backup should he fail to neutralize Dragon. Fortunately for Richard, Ra's was content to leave him in abject humiliation.

But word was both Dragon and Lady Shiva had taken part in the training of the man known as the Question. And rumor further had it Question had soundly beaten and humiliated Bronze Tiger on behalf of Richard Dragon. And Spyder knew full well that had to have eroded some of Bronze Tiger's confidence.

"And who are you?" Bronze Tiger chuckled.

"I am called Spyder," he felt confident in answering because Bronze Tiger wouldn't live long enough to repeat the name to anyone.

"Do you have a Black Spider fetish? Because I'm certain he'd want his professional identity preserved," Bronze Tiger was subtly preparing himself for the fight to come.

"Say goodbye," Spyder offered as he went for the obvious tactic of employing ballistic weapons. Bronze Tiger was fast. Faster than a non-meta had a right to be. He disarmed Spyder of every gun and grenade before Spyder could mount a reasonable defense. He finally pulled the knives from his sleeve sheaths.

"Good," Bronze Tiger unsheathed his customized "claw" knives, "I was hoping you'd go there."

* * *

Talon came upon Killer Croc before anyone else. Calvin Rose had left Leslie Thompkins' infirmary to leave the city and access a depot set up by the Court of Owls. Inside he found metabolic boosters that vastly accelerated his healing. Turning months of recovery into mere days. He then spent the rest of the week plundering caches of cash and weapons.

But he hadn't gotten there first. Which meant some of the Owls had survived the Injusticer purge. And he began to see Owl dignitaries on the news feeds and social columns. And simple inquiries revealed that the Court's overseas interests weren't violated or impeded in any way. So Calvin deduced the Court had struck a deal with Nyssa.

The gray underworld the Owls operated continued to operate despite the Wrath's purging of most of the city's lower level criminal elements. This had been in obedience to the original deal between Nyssa and the Court. The Owls' gray underworld largely became _the_ underworld in Gotham City.

Calvin knew Aneesa was still the Court's chosen Talon after his abandonment of the post. But he still believed in the classical interpretation of a Talon rather than its modern equivalent. So it was up to him to redeem the title.

But Talon felt the weight of the Court's gaze upon him inside of Gotham's limits. So he needed a base to operate from outside those limits. And he needed an armorer to replenish implements lost in battle.

Talon finally understood that the Court acted against Bruce Wayne not only out of an ages old vendetta started when Bruce's grandfather, Alan, was alive but because of the rise of Lincoln March within the Court's ranks. Lincoln's fanatical hatred of Bruce and the remnant of the Wayne family would manifest itself soon enough.

After hiding the millions he'd accrued, Talon left Gotham and sought out Jediah Bishop. Bishop was the weaponeer responsible for so many of Deathstroke's implements of destruction. Fortunately, he'd already had stock on hand fitting Talon's needs and the other items were forged in a week's time.

So Talon had just returned to Gotham yesterday and had already run into trouble. He wondered if Batman would make an appearance and honestly couldn't hazard a guess because the Dark Knight hadn't made an appearance for two weeks now. Word on the street was the Injusticers had taken him into custody and he'd never returned.

So Talon felt it fell upon him to stop Killer Croc's rampage. He leapt off of the shop front roof and landed directly in front of Croc. Killer Croc recoiled at the sight of him…before becoming highly amused.

"What're ya supposed ta be, Bird Beak?" Croc snickered.

Talon had fought for his life and he'd trained to the death against hardened opponents. But no one had ever mocked him. He drew and threw a knife into Croc's shoulder.

"What the hell?" Killer Croc yelped.

He pulled the blade from his flesh and threw it back at its owner. Talon intimately knew the weight and heft of every one of his knives. So when it was within reach and the handle was aimed at him, he plucked out of the air and drew it back for another throw.

"I didn't have to spare your life," Talon advised him.

"Yeah, okay. I'm impressed all ta hell. Yatta yatta," Killer Croc said dismissively, "We gonna do this fer real?"

The Court of Owls had kept files on Batman and his archenemies. He knew Croc had been a professional wrestler early on. Despite the staging inherent in such events, Croc knew wrestling and he was frighteningly good at it. His aptitude combined with his appearance had taken him from carnivals to the highest echelons of the pro sport. Only, it hadn't been rewarding enough for Croc despite the fact he would have been steadily earning six figures a year by now instead of stints in Blackgate.

Talon sheathed his knife. Croc grinned, "Shoot! I was hopin' ya'd go fer it!"

He charged like bull with arms spread wide and forward. Talon used Croc's head as a pivot point and vaulted over Killer Croc before his opponent could wrap his arms around him. As Croc spun to face his foe, Talon phoenix punched him. Killer Croc clutched his throat and began gagging.

"Stand aside!" Batman yelled as he swung down on a grapple line.

"I'd wondered if you'd make an appearance," Talon confessed, "I can assist you."

"You've done enough damage," Batman accused, "This man may die because of you."

"Hardly," Talon scoffed, "I barely registered enough a blow to hamper an average man. Killer Croc is hardly average."

Croc rose from his kneeling position and bashed Batman with a roundhouse punch, "Yer losin' it, Bats."

Talon watched with some horror as he realized Killer Croc was uncharacteristically wearing a wristband and that he had depressed a button on said band, "Okay, junior. Now we go fer it."

Batman readied a batarang to throw at Croc's head. But before he could release it was eaten away by rust. Batman looked up to see Cosmic King floating to the ground.

"So you finally made it to our soiree," Cosmic King said dismissively, "But your reputation belies a man of your stature falling for falling victim to so obvious a trap."

Batman snapped out a second batarang. This one stopped in midair and then rusted away and the attached tow line was corroded into nothingness as Cosmic King became irritated, "This is it? Mere toys? You were this colossal legend that stretched across a thousand years. And you rely on trinkets?"

"So you're from the future," Batman tried to ferret a reaction out of Cosmic King as he studied the stranger to learn his weaknesses, "A thousand years put you in the Legion of Superheroes' era. Are you a disgruntled reject trying to prove his worth?"

"You'll have to try harder than that to get me to betray my vulnerable points," Cosmic King warned him, "And I helped found a Legion. It's just a different Legion with an elevated purpose."

"So a Legion of Super Villains," Batman realized, "Supergirl never mentioned you."

"She wouldn't dare," Cosmic King laughed, "It's too embarrassing for her to talk about it. And knowing her Legion, they probably returned her to this time to supposedly rectify what we're about to do to the timeline without ever giving her a single detail. And the beauty of it all, is their great hope isn't even on Earth when we're prepared to strike."

Batman had palmed some smoke pellets so he threw them to the ground. As Cosmic King coughed and tried to see his opponent through the haze, Batman's right cross staggered him. Then came the left jab to the gut followed by another right cross. Then Batman cried out as searing pain hit every cell in his body.

Cosmic King wiped the blood from his lips, "I just converted ten percent of the iron in your blood into arsenic. You already deserved to die, but for striking me you will die slowly. So feel free to malinger as you expire."

* * *

Ulla was still pacing when a security guard came to collect her and lead her to where the two planes she awaited were taxiing in. She chose to stand between where the Star Spangled Racer and the Invisible Jet finally parked. She was greatly disappointed by the All Stars drastically reduced numbers. And Goldilocks and Enchantress were variables she hadn't counted on and she had no clue as to who Nightshade, Silver Swan, and Black Orchid were.

A red streak suddenly flashed all around them, striking them one by one. Wildcat cursed, "Damn, he's even faster than our Flash."

Flash quickly abandoned hitting Power Girl, Black Adam, and Isis. He nearly broke his hand every time he did. And while they were slower, they were fast enough to nearly grab him. And the Flash tumbled to the ground. Before he could sprint off again, Goldilocks wrapped him up in her hair.

"Bravo, sister!" Godiva cheered her younger sibling as a second guard brought her to the group.

"Dorcas! You're free," Goldilocks enthused.

"For the moment," Godiva sighed, "But things look bleak."

Goldilocks threw her arms around Godiva and squeezed her tight. Godiva couldn't remember when her sister had been this affectionate. It had to have been before the…incidents began.

"I haven't seen you this way since before…" she began to say, "Well, since forever."

Goldilocks hugged her again for catching herself. No one knew about the molestation Goldilocks endured as a child. She'd alluded to the abuse and sexual slavery she'd endured in the future to spare Godiva the same. Even from that she received pitying looks she didn't want or need.

"And what have you caught?" Godiva watched as Goldilocks unwrapped Flash's head, "Ah, a slippery little sod if there ever was one. I didn't realize he left the main group as Ulla and I slipped away."

"Did Belphegor tell you where to find me?" Ulla wondered.

"She did and she was trying to describe the help we were due but the Martian Manhunter cut her off and her mental voice fell silent," Dorcas Leigh explained.

"Speaking of the Flash," Col. Trevor confronted the prisoner, "why are you here?"

"My Queen ordered me to destroy her enemies," Flash proclaimed, "I serve my Queen!"

"Hera! Are we talking the Crimson Queen again?" Troia had to wonder.

Reports were beginning to indicate that the Crimson Queen hadn't been killed by Luthor while others purported she had been killed but raised by Mary Seward before her last breath was exhaled. If the Crimson Queen were truly one of Mary's turned, then she would be finally deceased now that the vampires from Drakul's line were exterminated. But even reports stemming after Mary's death indicated the Crimson Queen still lived and still avoided daylight.

"I regret to inform that his Queen is my wife," Sir Justin announced.

"You didn't tell us that," Trevor accused Nightshade.

"Yes, I did," she insisted.

ARGUS' files on Tessa Richardson had never indicated she was related to nobility. Goldilocks rolled her eyes and explained…again…about Eve Aries' true identity. And her vaunted powers.

"So this Saturn Queen knows most of the Justice League's most intimate secrets and knowledge surrounding almost every member without regard of who she was when she learned them," Trevor summarized, "And you're supposedly from the future too. That right?"

"Goldilocks?" Godiva looked worriedly at her sister.

"It's true, Dora. I'm from the near future where the Legion of Doom won control over the Earth with the help of Lightning Lord, Cosmic King, and Saturn Queen," Goldilocks explained.

Godiva had never heard such vehemence from her sister as when she spoke those three names. Not even towards Uncle Albright despite the hell he'd put her through. Dorcas Leigh knew there was a story to be shared and she prayed she'd be worthy enough, and strong enough, to hear it someday.

"So how do I know you're really from the future and not just escaping from an asylum?" Trevor asked.

"I daresay!" Sir Justin took umbrage at Trevor's tone and words. Godiva knew that was definitely a new reaction.

"My present self will be in Romania. Today she will be doing a final reconnoiter of the State Museum in an effort to collect the Crown Jewels and the Heart of Vienna presented to the Romanian nobility by the Hapsburg Holy Roman Emperor himself in 1789," Goldilocks easily recited from memory, "If you flash my identity to the ISA and have them alert the local police, they can flush her out into revealing herself. But she'll probably get away and leave the country because I had plans to cover that eventuality so she will too."

"Will this change history?" Trevor wanted to know.

"History has already gone to shit, Colonel," Goldilocks bitterly laughed, "Preventing grand larceny won't impact the larger scheme of things."

"And why were you selected to come back in time?" Trevor asked.

"Because I made arrangements with the LSV Founders in exchange for my sister's freedom," Goldilocks slowly revealed, "Those arrangements made me privy to their secrets and an intimate to their company. They frequently boasted of how they'd conquered the world for Lex Luthor and all they were waiting for was for the current Legion to provide a workable time machine as promised."

"So you know what they're going to do before they do it?" Trevor inquired.

"To a reasonable degree," Goldilocks allowed, "My very presence is altering events from the way they previously occurred."

"I'll get back to you," Trevor moved off to board the Invisible Jet and get some privacy.

"Sister, this bargain…" Godiva tenderly asked.

"Not now, Dorcas," Goldilocks pleaded, "If we win the day…then maybe."

Godiva knew then why Goldilocks held such hatred for the LSV trio. And she understood it had been a willing choice. A choice that had spared her from the same fate. Even if time were altered and that choice was never presented again, in a very real sense it had been made once already. And for that Godiva would be eternally grateful to her estranged sibling.

"I guess you're about to be pissed off with…well, you," Lightning observed.

"I'll get over it," Goldilocks promised.

"What are ya? A quitter on top of being a loony?" Guy caustically remarked, "No one's buyin' the act, honey. So take a hike before I plant my boot up yer luscious ass."

Goldilocks' eyes narrowed dangerously, "Gardner, if I were inclined to, I could send my hair up your nose and down your throat until you choke to death gagging on it."

"I'd like ta see ya try," Guy snarled.

"So would the rest of us," Huntress admitted.

"Up yers too," Guy snapped at her. Question held her back by blocking her path to him.

"Stop being juvenile, Gardner," Hawkman advised him, "You already lack any friends among us."

"You think I care, Beak Head?" Guy shouted, "I'm Guy friggin' Gardner, the greatest Green Lantern of them all!"

"Only now you're a Red Lantern," Troia calmly pointed out.

"Shut her flamin' yap!" Guy yelled at her.

Hawkman started to heft his mace but Donna rested a hand on his arm to dissuade him.

"Why is it they give power rings to the biggest wankers?" Goldilocks loudly asked Godiva.

"Whut?" that perplexed Guy.

"What's that mean?" Hawk whispered to Dove. She made a hand gesture she knew with certainty he'd understand.

"That's pretty damn funny!" Hawk suddenly blurted.

"Whut's so funny, Bird Man?" Guy demanded to know.

"Yer face," Hawk told him. Dove's eyes rolled behind the lenses in her mask.

"Hawk, try for once to be the adult here. If you're reasonable it will force him to be as well," Dove advised him.

"Maybe," he growled.

"Whut? Did she just cut off yer balls and eat them?" Guy guffawed.

"Hawk…" Dove ground out his name.

"Let's see ya act so tough without yer damn ring," Hawk challenged him.

Guy shut up.

"What's wrong? Yer balls just drop off?" Hawk taunted him. Dove gave up.

"I don't need no stinkin' ring ta take care of twerps like ya," Guy ripped his power ring off and handed to the closest person. Which happened to be Speedy. He missed the fact Mia Deardon tossed the ring over her shoulder without a second's hesitation and never seeing where it landed.

Guy marched straight to Hawk. Dove just shrugged. Guy drew back his fist and before he could even throw his punch, Hawk knocked him out with a single blow.

Everyone was congratulating Hawk and he basked in the accolade. Speedy couldn't believe it, "One punch. That's all it took."

Even Black Canary was caught up in the event. Katana arrived after being detained by biological functions in the plane, "What has happened?"

"Hawk leveled Guy with a single punch," Hawkman happily told her.

"I missed it?" she sounded crestfallen. She saw Huntress was crying she was laughing so hard.

"It didn't last long but damn it was worth the wait," Troia chuckled.

"I missed it," Katana murmured to herself.

"Why the hell is Guy flat on his back and drooling?" Trevor asked as he returned.

"Guy attempted his usual brand of foreplay with Hawk and he got turned down," Starling quipped.

"Good God, people. Can't I take you anywhere?" Trevor was irritated.

"It was a well deserved thrashing which consisted of a single punch," Nightshade informed.

"One punch? And I missed it?" Trevor was remorseful now, "Helluva thing."

He turned to Goldilocks, "Unless you have an identical twin, your story has checked out," Trevor informed Goldilocks.

"This is my sister," Godiva proudly declared, "I'd stake my life on it."

"You may have to," Trevor warned her.

Goldilocks had to stretch her memory quite a bit to recall the last time Godiva had been proud of her. It seemed it was before the…unpleasantness with her uncle began. Not a memory set she was eager to confront again.

"The French police are reporting to the ISA that the JLI was lined up down a boulevard and someone, presumably this Saturn Queen, merely gazed at each individual and suddenly they were best buddies with the Legion of Doom."

"So what do we do with this traitor?" Goldilocks waved Flash around in the air, "Because tempting though it is, I have no intention of detaining him indefinitely."

Trevor couldn't believe he'd just been sassed by Goldilocks. Nightshade stepped forward, "I have the solution, Steve."

She opened a portal to the Night Force, "Toss him in there."

Goldilocks happily lobbed him and then her magical hair returned to manageable length. Trevor turned to Nightshade, "You can still find him when this is done, right?"

"If I'm properly motivated," Nightshade smirked.

"No, Eve. Whatever it is you're going to ask for, the answer is a resounding, 'no'," Trevor remarked.

"You can't just leave him in that dimension," Nightshade protested.

"I'm not. You are," Trevor wore a wolfish smile.

"Oh, for the love of god, Steve," Nightshade protested.

"Take it up with the Justice League Dark, Eve," Trevor insisted, "Someone wake up, Gardner. And everyone prepare to move out. I got us a ride."

A small caravan of French police vehicles pulled up alongside the Invisible Jet. Trevor motioned towards them, "We're not waiting for anyone."

Bat-Girl knelt next to Guy and slapped him. He started to snore.

"Try more persuasion," Batwoman suggested.

Bat-Girl cracked his face so hard it hurt her hand and the snapping sound could be heard several feet away. Guy bolted awake, "Wha…?"

"Eloquent as always," Bat-Girl stood up.

"I thought ya was a lezbo," Guy frowned.

"I'm many thing but lesbian doesn't rank amongst them," Bat-Girl joined Starling and they held hands as they went to a police vehicle.

"I don't get it," Guy admitted.

"Don't strain your brain, Gardner," Batwoman hurried to join the others.

As the caravan pulled out, Guy attempted to fly after them. Only…nothing happened. He looked at his hand to find a naked finger, "Where the hell is my power ring?"

Silence met his question.


	8. Chapter 8

29

Darkness suddenly fell over the Subtle Realms. Which only added to the confusion of whether or not the JSA All Stars were even on a planet or in a solar system. The All Stars gathered around a center point established by Stargirl using the Cosmic Rod as a light source.

"How long have we even been here?" Commander Steel asked, "I know it feels like forever but we left the ranch at noon."

"Time flows differently in different dimensions. Whereas six hours have passed in the Prime Universe over twenty have passed by in the Subtle Realms," Anna warned the group.

"Jesus, no wonder I'm getting tired," Jesse muttered.

"Twenty hours!" Captain Marvel exclaimed.

"And I think we all agree it feels like it too," Aztek ventured, "Except for the Marvels, of course."

"But that means the two weeks Mary's been trapped here have been more like…" Captain Marvel couldn't speak as the Wisdom of Solomon supplied the number.

"Nearly eight for her," Anna stated for the group, "But there is a greater oddity at play here."

"What?" Captain Marvel asked sullenly.

"You and Captain Marvel Jr. are empowered by Shazam through a single aetherial channel apiece. Mary is now empowered by four after our little jaunt to Earth-3," Anna told them all, "But three are of darker origins than the Greco-Roman gods that empower the pair of you. Mary is now receiving a greater portion of her power from the same Egyptian pantheon that empowers the Black Marvels."

"Are you saying Mary has turned into Black Adam?" Junior indignantly asked.

"Not necessarily," Anna cautioned him, "But you have to look at the nature of the Egyptian gods and how they operate within the context of humanity. They entwine the mind body and soul, suffusing them with their power and pushing them towards their own mindset. This pantheon revolves around power and death. Usually simultaneously."

"Is that what drove Black Adam mad?" Sentinel asked.

"Teth-Adam was indeed corrupted by the vision of his gods," Anna confirmed, "But when Shazam differed in his use of his gift, Shazam found the Egyptian gods would not allow him to revoke his grant of power. So he entombed Black Adam. Four thousand years of isolation drove Black Adam into the true depths of madness. A depth he clawed his way back out of."

"And when Billy and Mary Batson's parents found that tomb and liberated Black Adam, they were killed by Theo Adam, a direct descendent of Teth-Adam's ancient line. Theo Adam was under instructions from Dr. Sivana to bring any objects of power to him," Anna elaborated, "Instead; Theo Adam took Black Adam and reintroduced him to the world. And two years later, Shazam chose Billy to be Captain Marvel. He was reunited with Mary, whom he'd thought killed with his parents in Egypt. Freddy Freeman came along later."

"This seems like another case of you holding out information from the team," Jay Garrick accused.

"Please understand the tenuousness of my position here," Anna pleaded, "Shazam is more than a nigh immortal wizard. He is a Lord of Order. I am pledged to the service of Order and the Lords of Order are not questioned lightly. Yet the same journey to Earth-3 revealed Shazam's questionable choices."

"You mean…that version of Mary and Billy she told me about," Stargirl ventured.

"Indeed," Anna confirmed, "Mistress Mary was a sexual predator whose chief victim was her own brother. In that world, Black Adam, Isis, and young Osiris were the champions. Yet Isis and Osiris had been killed by Alex Luthor's allies from Apokolips. So he passed on all of the power he had received upon his wife and son's deaths as well as his own and gave them to our Mary. Three-quarters of Mary's power is now derived from the Egyptian gods."

"Who supplied the...other Mary and Billy?" Stargirl inquired.

"Those very same Egyptian gods," Anna answered, "It seems the pantheon enjoyed the life or death struggle between factions."

"And Mary knows all of this?" Metamorpho asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Not at first," Anna told the group, "But after returning to Earth Prime, she consulted Shazam. You see, there are fifty-two universes still extant after the destruction of an infinite number of parallel universes. We cannot comprehend what destroyed them but even realms such as Apokolips and New Genesis have felt the impact."

"The center piece of these fifty-two universes is the Prime Universe," Anna stated, "For in this universe stands Oa, alone in the Prime Universe and in none other. And centerpieced by its proximity to the Rock of Eternity, also alone in the multiverse. There is one Rock, forged from a union of a slice of heaven and a portion of hell. And there is only one Shazam."

Everyone could tell by the Marvels' reactions that they hadn't known this either. Anna pushed on, "In the cosmic scope of the multiverse there is the Source, the one true God. Male and female gender labels seem superfluous but for the sake of the male ego we shall refer to the Source as a 'he'. Beneath the Source are found the Lords of Order and Chaos. Beneath them are the various deity pantheons and New Gods, beneath those can be found angels, demons, and demigods. Finally we happen upon mortal creatures."

"And where do you fall in that list, I wonder?" Jesse asked archly.

"I am no more and no less than a mere mortal," Anna confided.

"Why would Mary accept all of this power if it can corrupt her?" Hourman wondered.

"Ah, therein lies the rub," Anna approved of the inquiry, "Shazam shared a portion of what is transpiring across the multiverse with Mary. As we saw by embarking on journeys to Earths -2, -3, and -9, Darkseid is actively engaged in an attempt to conquer the multiverse. The bright gem at the center of his ambitions is the Prime Universe and Earth Prime."

"And then there is the destructive force that annihilated untold universes wholesale. Only intervention from the Source prevented the destruction of the entire multiverse," Anna shared, "But even the Lords of Order are clueless as to why fifty-two universes were chosen to survive or why those particular universes in question were selected. But something lurks beyond the multiverse which seeks to destroy us all, regardless if Darkseid reigns or not."

"But Darkseid has tried to conquer our Earth," Aztek pointed out, "He's failed in every attempt."

"But consider what we found on those alternate Earths," Anna implored, "On Earth-2, the Justice Lords served as his proxies leading his forces in battle against their own world. On Earth-3, Alex Luthor did the same in an effort to curb the criminals that dominated his world. What other force could that Luthor bring against the Crime Syndicate to kill half their members and drive the rest out of his universe altogether? Earth-9 saw Hitler replaced by a time traveling scientist named Per Degaton. Degaton was being courted by Darkseid while the Lord of Apokolips waited to see who would emerge victorious in the Great World War that had raged for seventy years. And let us not forget that a doppelganger of our teammate served as Degaton's lover as well as his adopted daughter."

Jesse Quick bristled at the mention of Jenni Quick. Hourman helped unruffled his wife's bruised feelings, "And Shazam and the Lords of Order expect repeat business here?"

"Who else could be labeled a proxy other than our very own Lex Luthor?" Anna posed the question, "Our allies on New Genesis have affirmed that Luthor has pledged to rule our Earth as Darkseid's satrap in exchange for extended life."

"But, a rogue element has revealed itself in all of these schemes," Anna warned, "An element born of Darkseid's own lust. He seduced an Amazon from Earth Prime and she bore him a daughter she named Grail. This daughter has all of her parents' strengths. Including Darkseid's ultimate power, the Omega Effect. Grail has one purpose and that is to kill Darkseid for casting her and her mother aside."

"But I thought Orion was supposed to off his dad," Stargirl reminded everyone.

"But Orion's mother, Tigra, was found to be unfaithful. Darkseid is not his father so the prophecy doesn't pertain to him. Kalibak doesn't possess the might or the intelligence to kill his father but Grail wields the one ability that can truly kill Darkseid once and for all," Anna explained, "So, to finally answer the question that has been posed, Mary is willing to risk her soul to fend off Darkseid's ultimate invasion."

Everyone considered these words until Flash changed the subject, "I understand Uncle Sam was still leading the Freedom Fighters on the Nazi Earth."

"Assuming he survived what Kalea did to him," Atom Smasher brought up the tender point to that story.

Everyone knew the name Kalea-El and everyone repressed a collective shudder at it. Born the Crown Princess of Almerac to Empress Maxima and her consort, Kal-El of Krypton, Kalea had never met her father until Maxima brought her teenage daughter to Earth to stay with Superman. Spoiled, temperamental, and arrogant were the kinder descriptions the JLers had for her later.

But Kalea was kidnapped and turned into a cyborg in a society that loathed and detested cybernetic implants and limbs. Maxima signed a nondiscrimination law into effect but Kalea was despised as she became a young woman. So she took revenge by staging a palace coup and dethroning her mother.

Locking Maxima in the deepest dungeons, Kalea launched an attack on Earth. She had two goals. One was to brutally humiliate and subjugate her own father and the other was to harvest humanity as a source of slave labor. Kalea was ultimately defeated and stripped of rank and title, citizenship, and even her place in the universe as she was banished into exile on frozen Argo.

But Kalea had returned yet again. Her fellow conspirators in the Democratic movement exiled Maxima. Until the day Kalea was sent forth to collect her mother for a show trial. This included a journey through multiple stops across the multiverse before Kalea tracked Maxima down to Earth-9. There she collected her mother and she did deliver her to the court. But she engineered events so Maxima would be restored to her throne.

For Almerac was engaged in a genocidal campaign against the Gordanians. The Gordanians envisioned the same fate for Almeracians that they'd had for Thanagarians. The Almeracians, never one to back down from escalating violence, responded in kind. In a war where no prisoners were taken, every able body counted.

Kalea rejected a reinstatement of her royal status upon Maxima's return. She also bowed out of being handed citizenship. She chose to earn her citizenship the way most Imperial subjects did, through meritorious service. Kalea was to serve Maxima as she'd served the Democratic Triad, as a specially authorized troubleshooter. As Maxima could attest to, from previous experience, Kalea was unstoppable once she set her mind to a task. And she didn't mind harnessing her daughter's single-mindedness towards the common good.

* * *

"Anna, can you furnish us with some kind of shelters and some provisions?" Sentinel turned to the not so simple business of survival in this incalculably hostile realm, "We didn't come prepared for a drawn out venture."

"Might I suggest you join me in providing some modicum of protection against the natives first?" Anna asked him, "You will find your ring has already outlasted its original twenty-four charge given to it by the magical lantern which focuses the energies of the Green Flame for you. Your ring will last indefinitely between charges here in this place."

"All right, whatever you have in mind will probably be more effective than merely posting sentries," Sentinel agreed.

"You may want to do that regardless of our success here," Anna advise, "Now suspend a sphere above our heads whilst I infuse it with Order magic. Slowly expand the sphere and allow it to permeate the ground beneath us until I order you to halt the expansion."

So the pair worked in tandem until Anna, slightly breathless asked Sentinel to cease his effort, "The construct will persist until you order its destruction."

"Are you all right?" he asked her.

"Never better," she said jauntily, "Now if you could arrange for everyone to back up against the construct walls?"

The All Stars complied while Sand explained to Sentinel and Flash the reality of demons burrowing in the ground below them. Sand celebrated Anna's foresight in extending their protective field beneath the visible terrain. Sand hadn't actually detected any demonic activity in the area but he admitted that could change without warning.

Sentinel had a sudden insight into Anna Fortune. She seemed madcap and carefree, and to a degree she was, but she was very much a product of the 19th Century. And she clung to the morality and quest for order that she'd had the illusion of until the American Civil War erupted. Anna's service to the Lords of Order was just part of her quest to reclaim the safety she'd felt as a child in the Antebellum South.

Alan Scott knew something of such lifelong searches. When he'd been a much younger man, he'd found a burning green gem that turned itself into a lantern and chose him to battle evil. It created the power ring he wore. Taking his name from the lantern, Alan became Earth's first Green Lantern.

While the Green Flame empowering the lantern and focused through the power ring claimed to be an elemental force of Earth itself, it had begun as the Starheart crafted by the Guardians of the Universe themselves. The Starheart had preceded the Green Lantern Corps and had wandered the universe before transforming into the Green Flame of Earth Prime with Alan as its chosen champion.

But unlike the Green Lantern Corps' power rings harnessing the emotional spectrum of Will, Alan couldn't operate beyond Earth's atmosphere. And the Green Flame suffused his body so that his children, Jennie-Lynn Hayden and Todd Rice had powers derived from aspects of the Green Flame. Todd controlled the essence of the Shadow Realms and became the vigilante known as Obsidian. Jennie had a power pulse in her left hand that harnessed the power of the Green Flame as she joined Obsidian as Jade.

Todd was diagnosed as schizophrenic and eventually turned against the Justice League and went rogue. Jennie, despite having green skin, claimed she'd lost her powers and became a costume designer in Hollywood. When Obsidian lashed out at his adoptive father and threaten to consume Detroit in the Shadow Realms, Jennie revealed she'd never lost her power. Together with Alan, they banished Todd to the Shadow Realms.

When Hal Jordan became the first human member of the Green Lantern Corps and Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and Kyle Rayner all followed, Alan forsook the mantle of Green Lantern and forged a new legacy as Sentinel. On Earth, Sentinel had limitless power. The only restraints he had were the limitations of his will and imagination and the physical properties of wood. Sentinel never understood the weakness against affecting wood but he supposed every power ring needed a weakness.

Here additional limitations had been imposed upon Sentinel's ring. Separated from the Green Flame by dimensional walls, Sentinel could little but create constructs. Still his boundless imagination meant he could create constructs that demons had never dreamt of.

Anna had judged their protective sphere capable of repelling _most_ of the demonic hosts in this realm. Sentinel, Flash, and Sand all agreed they didn't want to meet what it couldn't block. Mr. Terrific hastily cobbled together extra T-Spheres and deployed them all around the half dome covering the All Stars.

Anna set out medallions she fished out of her pockets. She set one apart from the others and spread the rest out. Mr. Terrific approached her escorted by Jesse and Hourman.

"We still need shelter, food, and water if we're to survive this godforsaken country," Mr. Terrific reminded her.

"And you shall have it," Anna promised, "God is present, even here. My sainted father taught me to prepare for such contingencies."

"I thought your father was hanged in your place," Jesse retorted.

Atom Smasher had moved in on them in order to defend Anna should the need arise. The rest of the All Stars followed. Anna decided to end this nonsense once and for all.

"Yes, my father died in my place. I was accused of murdering my fiancé after he killed my lover," Anna shared, "My fiancé was white and my beloved was a Negro. A heinous crime violating racial purity laws of the day. When my fiancé gunned down the man I truly loved, he emptied the pistol into him. But I knew he always carried a loaded spare in his saddlebag. So I retrieved that gun and emptied it into my fiancé for murdering my man."

Everyone fell silent as Anna pressed on, "Arranging a crime scene was simplicity itself since forensic science hadn't been created yet. But one of the sharecroppers on our land had been jealous of the relationship. So first she had revealed its existence to my fiancé and next she went to the civic leaders. So a lynch mob formed to apply 'true justice'. My father bought me time to escape but as I later learned the cost was his own life."

"You could have stood trial and pled your case," Hourman accused.

"In the Reconstruction South I was a woman, who had no place in society other than that dictated by her husband or betrothed. I didn't have the right of suffrage to change the racial laws I was accused of violating. The fact that I'd never had sexual relations with any man wasn't proof enough. The implied charges were considered proven without evidence," Anna stated.

"Why are you suddenly confessing now?" Jesse was instantly suspicious.

"Because you will not let these matters drop until you hear the truth you wish to here," Anna said sagely, "So I present you your truth at long last and you can be satisfied in the knowing. In the interim, allow me to finish my task."

"You made that up?" Jesse was outraged.

"A gave you _a_ truth you would accept without giving away _the_ absolute truth of what transpired," Anna confided, "If I had proclaimed my innocence, as I have since the beginning, would you have relented and abandoned hounding me? I think not. It is a far, far better thing to feed your expectations so you can simply continue to assume the worst about me."

"Sonuvabitch!" Jesse snarled.

"I believe you're confusing my gender," Anna quipped.

Atom Smasher had remained stoic despite having pulled his mask off. Anna had told them the truth. But as she also told them, it lacked all of the facts. It just presented her case in the worst possible light. So she hadn't lied and yet she'd made a case regarding Jesse and Hourman's assumptions.

He noticed, with some satisfaction, Sand was actually weighing her words. Sandy Hawkins had been one of Anna's chief critics until now. Or at least, he hadn't considered she had a side until now.

"Everyone really does need to step back now," Anna advised them all.

Anna gestured at the isolated pendent after everyone had cleared the center space. A portal formed from that pendent and a huge tent structure emerged from it. Then she did the same with the other pendants. Cooking apparatuses and gear emerged from another. An old fashioned outhouse and supplies of toilet paper from another. Blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags from another, and a storehouse's worth of food from the last.

Atom Smasher knew Anna's naysayers owed her for this regardless of their personal feelings towards her. Anna approached Mr. Terrific, Sand, Sentinel, and the Flash, "We'll need to dig the appropriate hole for the privy."

"I can handle that," Sentinel promised.

"This is incredible," Jay exclaimed, "How does it work?"

"Each talisman is attuned to a particular tesseract, which is a small, finite pocket dimension. Yet tesseracts appear to be accessible from any point in existence. So I merely stored gear in tesseracts and withdrew that equipment that we needed," Anna explained.

"So you have more of these?" Sand asked.

Anna showed him a collection of talismans, "Quite. And when light breaks again I shall return everything to its storage 'locker'."

"Time for some heavy lifting," Mr. Terrific decided and began to organize everyone.

Sentinel's ring scooped out dirt and placed the outhouse over the hole. Teams were divided between the sleeping gear and the food. The Marvels used the Speed of Mercury and the Wisdom of Solomon to put together the grills and camp stoves.

When the teams had finished, Anna made a final request, "We need to gather stones into a central pile amidst our impromptu camp."

"Why?" Junior asked sullenly.

"Do you see any wood for a fire?" Anna asked, "Because I shall bow before your superior insight."

"But what good are rocks?" Stargirl wondered.

"You are going to superheat those rocks with your Cosmic Rod," Anna informed her.

Courtney pulled Anna aside, "There's no sun or stars to recharge my Cosmic Rod or Cosmic Convertor Belt."

"This realm is permeated with stellar energy," Anna told her, "It's what the demons feed off of. They only eat one another for pleasure's sake."

Stargirl turned a shade of green, "Uh…thanks for sharing."

"As Sand is well aware of, you may be the key to our victory here," Anna revealed.

"Not like the King of Tears again?" Stargirl complained.

"No," Anna laughed.

"Good, `cause it took days to get that creep's innards and ooze outta my hair," Stargirl was indignant.

"Yes, because demonic gods should be more considerate with their gore," Anna chuckled.

"That's what I'm talkin' `bout!" Stargirl proclaimed.

"You are Mary's closest friend, through trial and fire. Closer to her than her own esteemed brother," Anna explained, "You may prove to be the lifeline that brings Mary back from the edge should she be staring down an abyss by now."

"So all I have to do is save her soul?" Stargirl was skeptical.

"Hardly," Anna snorted, "You need to give Mary a reminder of why she needs to save herself."

"Anna, Courtney, we have a pile collected," Sand informed them.

Anna infused the Cosmic Rod's solar energy with magic to perpetually sustain the superheating of the stones. The group milled together in cliques as they began to prepare a meal and broke out water rations. Anna took some water and pulled her mask from her nose and mouth to drink as she went to the furthest part of the enclosed area. Atom Smasher followed her.

"Risky move, Anna," he told her, "You gave them what they wanted."

"Which was precisely the point, Albert," Anna replied before she sighed, "They're off the scent for the moment but the persecution will renew itself on the morrow."

"They may renew the push to kick you out of the All Stars," Atom Smasher warned.

"Perhaps the Justice League of America is hiring?" she asked merrily.

"The Question and Huntress belong to the JLA," he reminded her.

"Drat! The Justice League Dark then?" she asked primly.

"Well, Sir Justin says they've taken in the Enchantress and Goldilocks," he remembered.

"Ah, then I'm in," she teased him, "Or I could simply weather the storm and stay here with you."

"But if Sand decides you didn't make a valid point and he joins Jesse and Rick in going before Michael, Alan, and Jay and push to have you ejected after we get back?" Al fretted.

"The above listed people already know the particulars of my case and they believe it was justifiable homicide," Anna shared

"They know?" Atom Smasher was startled.

"Every gory detail, love," Anna gave him a rueful look.

"How?" Al asked.

"Through a memory charm," Anna confessed.

"Anna!" Atom Smasher scolded her.

"Not _that_ kind of charm. Instead of altering memories or removing them altogether, I employed a charm that shared memories. They, including dear Wildcat and Dr. Mid-Nite, partook of events through my eyes and memories. They saw that there were _three_ revolvers. One intended for me before I shot him as the murdering bastard took aim at me. The consensus was it was a clear cut case," Anna recalled, "I believe the term 'clean shoot' was employed to describe the particulars. And since Dr. Fate administered the charm and guided them through my memories, they knew they were seeing the unvarnished truth."

"Yet they just let Sand, Jesse, and Rick hound you?" Atom Smasher was outraged.

"They must change their mind of their own accord," Anna tried to persuade him, "If the hammer were to fall, they would still hold the same low opinion of me but it would be covertly in a manner where they would be swayed towards sabotaging the team."

"I still say it was a helluva of a gamble feeding them that story," Atom Smasher protested.

"No more than my falling in love with you, Albert Rothstein," Anna argued, "Every choice we make is tantamount to a gamble. Some are just riskier than others. And losing my place with the All Stars is far secondary a concern than losing my place in your heart."

"I know you're afraid of enduring another major loss in your life, Anna," Atom Smasher confided, "But I'm not going anywhere."

"No one ever expects to," Anna said quietly, "What if this is the very mission you're killed in action?"

"What if it's not me and it's you instead?" Al countered.

"Mmm…I can see this could be belabored until all life ceases," Anna realized, "How about we merely agree to watch one another's backsides instead?"

"I'd like nothing better than to watch your backside," Al confessed.

"My, oh my, Mr. Rothstein. You do make a girl want to blush," Anna felt heat rising to her cheeks, "And your utter sincerity and passion could make me swoon."

"That's why you love me," Atom Smasher decided, "And I love you because despite all the tragedies you're a devil may care free spirit and have the hardest, stubbornest head I've ever encountered."

"Delightful, isn't it?" Anna's eyes twinkled.

"And you're the picture of modesty too," Atom Smasher dryly commented.

"After today's endeavors, I feel I have the right to boast my own praise," Anna revealed.

"Why do you say that?" Al was worried again.

"I utilize Order magic. Do you see evidence of Order in the Subtle Realms? I confess it's there to be had but it's rather like pulling the proverbial camel through the eye of the literal needle," Anna dropped her guard and he could finally tell just how exhausted she truly was, "It requires the sum total of my being to employ any spells outside of the magic contained within a spell casing."

"That's what we've suspected," Flash told her.

Anna normally possessed a preternatural awareness of her surroundings. Yet in her fatigue, Sentinel, Flash, Mr. Terrific, and Sand had listened in on the entire conversation. Sand apologized for eavesdropping.

"Jay, Alan, and Michael decided I should finally know the complete truth. We didn't actually intend to overhear everything," Sand shared after apologizing.

"I suppose I should take my lumps for being too distracted to notice you," Anna sighed.

"I guess I can truly say I'm sorry Dr. Fate didn't apply the charm to me when the others met with him and you together," Sand admitted, "I've wasted so much time being suspicious."

"Your silicone nature belies the organic nature of a memory charm. It wouldn't have worked on you," Anna told him, "Which I informed the others when they desired to include you in the gathering."

"But you knew I'd still be opposed to you," Sand realized.

"Yes, but the entire point was you had to change your mind of your own accord. Even under the influence of the memory charm, everyone had the freedom to decide my case as they saw fit," Anna shared.

"Anna, before we embarked on this quest, you said you wouldn't know if you could teleport us back within range of the T-Spheres we left in place until we were actually here," Mr. Terrific reminded her, "What's your verdict?"

"I shan't be able to move much more than a body or two under these conditions," Anna regretted to inform them.

"Which means fighting across open country the way we have today. If this was even considered a day," Flash determined.

"Fortunately we haven't been mobbed since our first encounter," Sentinel opined, "It's just been protracted skirmishes."

"But they're gathering where Mary is," Sand predicted, "They know what we want and they knew we'd come. There's another hand involved staying hidden for now."

"Johnny Sorrow?" Mr. Terrific asked.

"That would be a reasonable assumption," Anna agreed, "And I won't abandon Mary to this fate. I will soldier on until breath escapes me."

"And I'll be right beside her," Atom Smasher pledged.

"We all will," Sentinel promised, "Hank and Sonia are doing wonderful things with the cooking gear. You should check it out."

"Did I just hear your stomach growl at the merest mention of food, Albert?" Anna gave him an incredulous look.

"C'mon, I'm hungry," he protested.

"Then let us feed you before you're completely famished and grow faint," Anna teased him as they made their way across camp.

"We're going to need a better exit strategy," Mr. Terrific decided, "One that doesn't pertain to endless combat across vast terrain."

"If they let us," Flash heard the screeches in the night begin. Glittering eyes appeared beyond the night.

"The Marvels and I don't require sleep," Sand reminded everyone, "We'll stand watch."

"It looks like you'll need to," Sentinel agreed.

* * *

"Let me get this straight, you both broke into Cluemaster's suite. One of you because you were told to and the other because you're a pain in my ass," Selina Kyle addressed Kitrina Falcone and Stephanie Brown. Kitrina was Selina's junior partner and had been tasked with searching the aforementioned room. Stephanie was Cluemaster's own daughter and sent to Monaco without Catwoman and Catgirl's knowledge in order to harass Arthur Brown and keep him distracted while the JLers acquired whatever item it was that the Legion of Doom had sent Cluemaster after.

"And," Selina continued, "because you are a pain in my ass, you ransacked the suite rather than covertly pilfer it so everyone, God and country, knew the suite had been broken into. Especially by, and not limited to, Cluemaster's henchmen, the Monte Carlo Police, and who knows who else that has an interest in Cluemaster's activities. That about sum it up?"

"Except for her leaving me behind as the armed goons came rushing in," Kitrina complained.

"I said I was sorry," Stephanie whined.

"After I dumped you on your ass with a right cross," Kitrina snorted.

"Okay, let's move on," Selina wearily suggested, "Waller, and our beloved Col. Trevor, sent Spoiler here as a distraction."

"As if we needed one," Kitrina was still offended by that piece of news.

"Steve is being…protective," Selina defended him, "I'll have to castrate him later but in his mind it's a sweet gesture."

"But there's more," Selina warned everyone involved, "Tonight in the casino, a woman observed Cluemaster and I to the point she didn't look at anyone else. She was dressed appropriately but didn't wear the evening gown comfortably. And her eyes bulged every time she ordered something off of the menu. To add to her list of crimes, she followed Cluemaster's thug that followed me out of the casino and back to the hotel. I was going to suggest we join in for a group circle jerk but she left when she saw I was safely returned to the hotel."

"Did you get pictures?" Kitrina asked.

"Of course," Selina detached the hidden USB flash drive memory stick plugged into her rather expensive looking brooch. Which turn turned out to be a digital camera.

Stephanie bristled after Kitrina downloaded the pictures to her laptop and the first set was of her father. Kitrina scrolled through until she found a blonde woman in an evening gown intently watched Selina. She wasn't even remotely subtle about it.

"She looks vaguely familiar," Stephanie remarked.

"Can you run her image through the ARGUS database?" Selina asked, "If Waller did send her, she's a player. Someone will have a file on her."

"I'll need to hook up the sat phone too secure the line," Kitrina busied herself. After interfacing with ARGUS and determining it was a secure channel, she set up a facial recognition parameter and began the laborious search.

"We might want to sit back and relax," Kitrina suggested, "God knows how long this will take."

Twenty minutes later, six options had been presented. Selina pointed a particular picture, "Bring her up."

"Dr. Roxanne Ballantine. Goes by 'Rocki'. Invented 'smart metal', whatever the hell that means," Kitrina read off.

"It means she has more money than you," Stephanie commented.

"Do you have any idea of how large my trust fund is?" Kitrina dryly asked.

"Um…no," Stephanie admitted.

"Then shuddup," Kitrina snapped at her.

"Why is she relevant?" Selina wondered.

"There's an attachment to her file labeled 'Inactive'," Kitrina pointed out.

'Click it," Catwoman instructed.

What opened was a "Batwoman Disambiguous" page. One photo bore the underlying script "Sonia Alcona-DECEASED". Selina took a sharp breath.

"I knew her in the other Justice League. Catman killed her. Rumor had it there were three Batwomen to begin with before Sonia took the role as her own," Selina remarked.

"This one, 'Kathy Duquesne' is listed as having joined the JLA," Kitrina pointed out.

"And Rocki Ballantine is the third and that's why she's listed as 'Inactive'," Stephanie realized.

"So what would cause a lab rat to put a cape back on?" Selina mused, "Find her. We're going to have a conversation with Dr. Ballantine."

* * *

Across the city, Rocki lounged in a pair of sweats and a tee-shirt wearing tennis shoes rather than the accursed heels she'd bought for tonight's appearance. Her evening gown along cost more than three months' worth of her rent. And by Gotham standards, she lived in an upscale home.

Rocki was going over the files Trevor had given her again. ARGUS had allowed her to personalize the laptop they provided but it still lacked all of her game programs. Then an urgent knock came at the door.

Cautiously opening it, she found a member of the hotel staff with a slip of paper. He departed before she remembered to tip him. Unfolding the paper, she found the message in English, _Behind you!_

Rocki pulled and snapped open a batarang from her pocket as she spun around to find Catwoman regarding her with an amused expression, "A little slow but your reflexes have promise."

"Why are you here?" Rocki kept the batarang poised and ready.

"I believe the question is why are _you_ here?" Catwoman countered.

"Because Monte Carlo is where everything happens in Monaco," Rocki spouted.

"And the Casino de Montecarlo is the best place for dinner and drinks," Catwoman chuckled, "Tell Waller to write you better material."

Rocki lowered her batarang, "I know this must seem insulting…"

"Seems?" Catwoman derided her, "You don't have a grasp on the word."

"But I'm not here because of you and Catgirl," Rocki informed Catwoman, "I'm here to assist Spoiler."

"Do you even know where Stephanie Brown is right now?" Catwoman wondered.

Rocki consulted her smart phone, "She's across the street. I assume she came with you."

"Hold that thought," Catwoman returned to the window she'd entered through and flashed a Morse code message against a chimney stack next door. Catgirl entered through the same means several minutes later followed by Spoiler.

"Tell her where the tracking device is hidden," Catwoman instructed Rocki.

"Inside the grip where the two halves of your quarterstaff meet," Rocki obeyed.

"They bugged me?" Spoiler exclaimed.

"Just tear the stupid thing apart already," Catgirl growled.

Spoiler pulled her retracted staff out of her leg holster and went to work. Catgirl smirked at the batarang in Rocki's hand, "You even know how to use that thing?"

Rocki snapped into motion and threw it against Catgirl's chest. But the batarang altered shape and became a metal band around Catgirl's chest and arms. Catwoman chuckled.

"I think we've just seen what smart metal is," she pointed out.

"A little help here?" Catgirl was indignant as she struggled.

Rocki began inputting information into her phone. Applying a metal probe, it received electrical data to pass on and change the restrictive band back into a batarang. Catgirl stared at it.

"Can I have one?" she grinned, "We can call it a _cat_ arang."

Rocki inputted more information and probed the batarang again, "The true revolution was staging suspended alteration so the shape could be change upon stimuli alterations."

"Say what?" Catgirl asked.

"It hits something and then changes shape," Rocki simplified the jargon, "I had competitors in the smart metal field even though I developed the tech first. But no one else has this capability."

"Have any ideas regarding whips?" Catwoman wondered.

"Well, relative mass would remain constant but, sure, it would provide enough material to create a whole treasure trove of shapes," Rocki assured her.

"Someone want to give me a hand?" Spoiler asked, frustrated.

Rocki reassembled her staff in seconds, "It helps to have PhDs in engineering and metallurgy."

"All right, you're useful. You can stay," Catwoman decided despite the glare she received from Spoiler.

"And if you'd decided I wasn't?" Rocki wondered.

"You'd be flying home tonight," Catwoman promised her.

* * *

Gar Logan had arrived at Rachel Roth's hospital room. He asked to be alone with her so Conner and Cassie stepped out and left the hospital. They'd gotten a bite to eat when the Teen Titans' recall alarm sounded. They ate as they flew back to the compound.

* * *

Celine Marjorie Patterson, known as Skitter, was enjoying the afternoon with Miguel Jose Barragan, or Bunker, and she delighted in the fact interracial couples were so accepted in San Francisco. Especially when both partners were people of color.

At that moment, things were the exact opposite of the earlier tension of the Brotherhood of Evil's attack. The present was about two people being in love and sharing time together. And then the recall notification came.

"How bad can it be?" Celine asked.

"Don't jinx it," Miguel warned her.

"Hey, we still have tomorrow and the day after and the day after that," Celine assured him.

"Gemini almost killed you," Miguel said sullenly.

"But she didn't," Celine reminded him, "So don't mope around like I'm dead or something. It was a 'maybe'."

"And next time?" Miguel asked.

"There will always be a next time," Celine promised him, "That's why I have you around, you big dope."

"I hate it when you talk sense," Miguel mock cursed.

"You must hate life all the time," she joked.

"You only think so," Miguel retorted.

"Okay, now we're late so we'll have to take a cab," Celine decided.

"And who's paying for this taxi?" Miguel asked warily.

She rolled her eyes, "We'll split it, okay? And they say chivalry is dead."

"Get a receipt, then we can bill Gar's trust fund," Miguel remembered.

"Sure, sure," Celine flippantly waved at him, "Help me flag a cabbie."

* * *

Kiran Singh returned to the Teen Titans after being away to India for three months. She'd missed their move from the East Coast to the West. And she'd missed Protector's death, Flamebird's departure, and Red Arrow's defection. She'd also never met the new members. But Cassie had kept her updated. As well as funny updates from Bart Allen.

Bart was the first to greet her as she entered the compound. Her heart skipped a little beat to see him again. And Bette Kane was gone so her chief competition had vanished.

"When did you get back?" Bart asked, all excitement.

"Yesterday," Kiran shared, "I'm staying with an aunt and uncle so I unpacked yesterday and today, here I am."

"You could always move in here like the rest of us," Bart suggested.

That little flutter kicked into overdrive, "My parents want me staying with family so that I can continue my education. It's their stipulation for me staying with the Titans."

"Gar hired tutors and teachers," Bart argued.

"Not like those my family provides," Kiran hated to disappoint him.

"You're just in time. Today we got attacked by the Brotherhood of Evil," he pointed out the wreckage everywhere.

"I saw the mess," she said demurely.

"And Red Robin just called everybody back to the compound because of some brewing crisis," Bart realized something; "You've never met him, have you?"

"No," Kiran said quietly.

"Here's the rules, don't ask him who he is, don't ask him where's he's from, and for God's sake don't ask him why he joined the Titans," Bart warned her.

"You're serious," she realized.

"Completely," Bart promised her, "You'll get to meet all the new faces. Rachel got hurt so Gar's staying with her at her hospital room. Cassie and Conner are coming back though."

"Who's Conner?" Kiran asked.

"You know about Superboy, right?" Bart wondered.

"Cassie has…mentioned him," she wasn't certain how much she should divulge.

"Well, today Cassie gave Superboy a name and it's 'Conner'. Seems the lab boys that mixed his stew never gave him an actual name. So anyway, Cassie named him and now they're inseparable. I think something's going on," Bart confided.

"Kiran!" Cassie called out as she and Conner approached hand in hand.

"Cass!" Kiran hugged her and then turned to Conner, "You must be Superboy. I've heard everything there is to know about you and then some."

He gave Cassie an amused look, "Oh really?"

"Conner, this is Kiran Singh. We call her 'Solstice'," Cassie shared, "She just got back from three months in India."

"Business or pleasure?" Superboy asked.

"Familial obligations, actually," Solstice clarified.

"Ix nay on the family ay," Bart whispered.

"I may not have a family but most people do," Superboy chastised Kid Flash, "So why don't you run along and tell everyone Solstice is back?"

"Later, dudes!" Kid Flash was gone in a blur.

"I'll make certain he doesn't get lost," Superboy offered.

"He still doesn't have an inkling, does he?" Wonder Girl asked Solstice about Kid Flash.

"He seems just as nice as you described," Solstice admitted.

"Not him, Bart," Wonder Girl corrected her.

"I'm not sure," Solstice frowned, "Something's changed. I just don't know how or if it's a good thing."

"Well, Bette's gone so he's not wandering around drooling all the time," Wonder Girl said crossly.

"Literally," Solstice laughed.

"It's funny in a pathetic kind of way," Wonder Girl relented.

"Any news from Cissie?" Solstice asked.

"Just the usual notes saying she's okay at her private academy. She hangs out with someone named Olive Silvermane. She doesn't want to talk 'business'. Not after what happened to make her quit being Arrowette," Wonder Girl said.

"I suppose it didn't help that Red Arrow joined almost as soon as Arrowette 'retired'," Solstice presumed.

"For all the good it did us," Wonder Girl snorted, "Mia quit and started calling herself 'Speedy' as soon as she joined the Justice League."

"Her heart was broken," Solstice sympathized, "I doubt she wanted to face the reminders we represented."

"Coward!" Wonder Girl spat.

"Not all of us had a god for a father, even one that remotely benefited us when we needed help," Solstice chastised Wonder Girl, "Mia lived on the streets until being taken in by Green Arrow. You know the perversions she had to endure just to survive."

"Okay," Wonder Girl said sullenly, "Maybe."

"You have a noble heart, Cassie Sandsmark, but you are prejudiced by you own experiences," Solstice warned her.

"Kiran!" Skitter yelled as she rushed in to embrace Solstice.

"It's good to see you, Celine," Solstice grinned as manically as Skitter, "Still slumming around with Miguel?"

"I still put up with him," Skitter let go of a longsuffering sigh.

"Speak of the dimwitted devil," Solstice greeted Bunker.

"She gets love and I get abuse?" Bunker protested through his smile, "Where's the justice?"

"Is Raven going to be okay?" Solstice changed the subject.

"The prognosis is good and I don't think Gar is leaving her side until she wakes up," Wonder Girl explained.

"I'm just gonna duck inside and see the guys," Bunker crept off.

"Some hero," Skitter snorted, "Brave enough against the Brotherhood of Evil but gather some estrogen, man runs away."

"Did the leadership crisis ever get resolved?" Solstice wondered.

"You did keep informed," Skitter whistled.

"Well, I have names but no faces," Solstice admitted.

"A truce was declared this afternoon," Wonder Girl shared as they started to proceed indoors, "Red Hood is yielding to Red Robin for now so he becomes our de facto leader."

"But is he worth following?" Solstice wondered, "Bart said he's terribly mysterious."

"He won't give any secrets away, that's for sure," Skitter agreed, "And everything is a secret around him."

"I think Conner knows the truth, as well as Caitlin, and probably Jason. The whole group out of NOWHERE has been pretty tight except this whole rivalry between Red Robin and Red Hood," Wonder Girl explained.

"That's a lot of red," Solstice couldn't help but observe.

"And Red Hood is the one that pushed to be team leader," Skitter pointed out, "Red Robin just sort of fell into the role."

"Like Jason did," Solstice reminded them of Protector's part in becoming the group leader.

* * *

Solstice suddenly stopped dead in her tracks when they came to rapidly filling conference room, "Um…that girl is green."

"Oh, that's Miss Martian. Her real name is M'gann M'orzz. She goes by Megan Morse when she looks human," Skitter explained, "She's really sweet."

"And equally mysterious," Wonder Girl warned Solstice.

Fairchild introduced herself and Solstice found herself staring up at Caitlin's face, "Um…you're really tall."

"I wasn't until I became gen active," Fairchild assured her.

"Caitlin is Dr. Caitlin Fairchild. She's one of the leading researchers into the meta-gene. Gar installed a whole lab complex into our headquarters so Caitlin could continue her work. Only now she works for the DEO rather than NOWHERE," Wonder Girl explained.

"So this is everyone?" Solstice wondered, "Because my count is off."

"Red Hood is missing," Kid Flash suddenly appeared at her side. Her heart nearly stopped again for entirely different reasons, "Red Robin has him on a conference call and neither of them is very happy."

"Let's listen in, shall we?" Skitter looked diabolical, "Who knows what we may accidentally learn."

"Jason, I told you to fully cooperate," Red Robin grated, "What is your definition of 'fully'?"

" _I didn't kiss their asses is what I define it as,"_ Red Hood snapped back, _"Show a little backbone."_

"Jason, the police already don't like you. They aren't to give any leeway revolving around your customary methods. If they think you've crossed a line, they will detain you first and ask questions sometime later this century," Red Robin warned him.

" _They can try,"_ Red Hood threatened.

"Understand me, Red Hood. You will cooperate and you will go through due process or I will personally break every bone in your body. There are no more Lazarus Pits to accommodate you so you'll be in traction for at least six months. And if I don't think you're repentant enough afterwards, I'll break them all again," Red Robin advised him.

" _You honestly think you could,"_ Red Hood wanted to scoff.

"And so do you," Red Robin forced him to acknowledge, "Otherwise you would have forced your way into a leadership role."

" _You aren't part of Batman, Inc. anymore. I don't have to take anything from you,"_ Red Hood protested

"Try remembering that we have a very interested audience before we start revealing each other's secrets," Red Robin urged, "Because I'm certain yours will be equally well received."

" _What's so damn important that we're talking by speaker phone?"_ Red Hood conceded.

"The mayors of San Fran, Monterey, and Oakland have all received threat notifications from a mechanized voice purporting to represent the Legion of Doom. The nature of the threats was left unknown other than in Monterey where the military college and language institute are being specifically targeted. Having conferenced with the local police commissioner, it was determined that the likeliest target is the water treatment plant because of its vulnerability and ability to inflict harm on the entire population," Red Robin reported, "Oakland is currently engaged in a search for suspicious activity that could be attributed to the Legion of Doom. The Departments of Defense and Homeland Security are assessing potential strike packages now."

"Why us?" Superboy asked, "I appreciate the confidence but this isn't our usual shtick."

"The Justice League, as in JLU, JLI, and JLA, are already engaged. No one can find the JLD and the JSA All Stars are off grid for some reason. That pretty much leaves it up to us," Red Robin revealed.

"So we're the fallback?" Bunker was irritated, "Normally they ignore us `cause they think we can't hack it but when their asses are in slings, they suddenly call?"

"I'm not arguing that point," Red Robin told him, "But we should respond because it's the right thing to do."

"I hate having a conscience," Wonder Girl groaned.

"It's good that you do, Cassie. You're taking Superboy and Miss Martian with you to Monterey," Red Robin informed her.

Wonder Girl sighed, "Come on, guys. We get to travel."

"Which is always nice," M'gann replied.

Wonder Girl merely grunted in reply.

* * *

"Red Hood you'll lead the Oakland team. You'll have Kid Flash, Fairchild, and Solstice with you," Red Robin told him.

" _Who the hell is 'Solstice'?"_ Red Hood demanded to know.

"She predates you as a Titan and she's been away for several months. But she returned today and is ready for action," Red Robin explained.

" _Wonderful, have everyone meet me on the street and I'll pick them up. And have Kid Flash scout ahead. I trust that idiot more than I do local law enforcement,"_ Red Hood proclaimed.

Red Robin hung his head, "You're still on speaker phone."

Red Hood dropped a series of F-bombs before Red Robin terminated the call, "Bunker and Skitter, you're with me at the water plant."

Red Robin approached Solstice, "It's nice to finally meet you, Kiran. Wonder Girl and Skitter can't say enough nice things about you. And Bart practically worships at your feet."

"He does?" that bombshell certainly startled her.

"Maybe you should have this conversation with him when today's excitement is over," Red Robin suggested.

"Thank you, I think I shall," Solstice promised.

"Joining me outside?" Fairchild asked.

They stood the curb and a black SUV screeched to a halt in front of them. Fairchild got in on the passenger side, "Subtle."

"Who's this?" Red Hood asked as Solstice hopped in.

"That is Solstice," Fairchild growled a warning.

"Wonderful," Red Hood muttered as he drove off to cross the bay.

"So, Red Robin was part of Batman, Inc. Why haven't I ever heard of him before?" Solstice asked.

Red Hood groaned. He'd have to pay for his slip eventually. He just knew it.

* * *

Skitter changed into her special attire that accommodated her transformation into a human-insect hybrid. She weaved a cocoon and wrestled about in it as she metamorphasized. Cutting her way free, she saw Red Robin and Bunker waiting for her.

Bunker appreciated the fact Red Robin didn't even seem to notice Skitter wasn't entirely human anymore. He took her transformation in stride as though he saw similar things every day. And Skitter appreciated it as well.

"Chk…chk…chk!" she happily chittered.

"She's thanking you," Bunker translated.

"I can tell she's happy but what is there to thank me about?" Red Robin asked.

"Her change doesn't creep you out," Bunker explained.

"I never realized it was supposed to," Red Robin calmly replied.

Bunker decided then that Red Robin was a cool customer…which befitted someone who used to be associated with Batman. He had to wonder just who Red Robin had been because none of the official press releases ever mentioned him.

Red Robin led them to the garage where he slipped on a motorcycle helmet and tossed another at Bunker. Bunker got a little nervous, "Do we gotta take your bike?"

"It's faster than a car," Red Robin replied, "Skitter; I need you to fly behind us and above street lamps and cables. I know you don't like flying at heights but this shouldn't be bad. If you're bothered, you can fly directly on our tail."

"Chk…chk…chk…chk," Skitter readily agreed.

"She'll do it," Bunker mounted the motorcycle behind Red Robin but did the "manly" thing and took hold of the grab bar behind the seat.

The automatic garage door opened while Red Robin revved the bike. When there was enough clearance, Red Robin gunned the engine and raced out to the street while Bunker cried out, "Jee-zus!"

Skitter flew behind them as asked, laughing the entire way.

* * *

Kid Flash searched every part of Oakland and didn't find a thing. Not even in the skuzzy parts of town he didn't like going into. He ended up next to the stadium by accident. The Raiders were playing the Chargers on the Sunday afternoon and Kid Flash thought about popping in to catch the score and to grab a bite from the concessions.

That's when he noticed a work crew offloading vending machines. The entire affair just struck him as odd. Wasn't there already vendors selling snacks inside? He got closer but didn't interfere.

And then his entire world exploded with pain. He went rigid and started spasming as he tipped over and landed on the ground. Half-Ape loomed over him and Bart cursed the day when two people got the drop on him in a single six hour window.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't a skulking speedster. Welcome to the game," Half-Ape chuckled.

* * *

Red Hood gave up trying to reach Bart through his Kid Flash headgear, "Turn on the tracker."

Fairchild pulled the tablet out of the glove compartment, "He's holding position at the stadium."

"What's he doing there?" Red Hood was livid.

"Do you think he's all right?" Solstice worried.

"I think he's jerking us off," Red Hood snarled.

"Bart wouldn't do that to us!" Solstice vehemently argued.

Red Hood saw her in a new light, "Good to know then. Why don't we just check on him to be sure?"

"Look, I don't know the two of you but I've been through pretty bad times with Bart. He seems like a flake but he's a good guy and he's committed to the Titans' cause," Solstice asserted, "And he's proven it time and again where you two have barely just showed up."

"And where have you been the past few months?" Red Hood queried her.

The parking attendants laughed at the group until Red Hood pulled a pistol on them. Then they pulled up in time to see the last vending machine go inside the stadium. Red Hood paused.

"That isn't right," he mused.

"It's a candy machine, get over it," Fairchild retorted, "I'll buy you a Snickers before we go back."

"The concession venders have exclusive rights to selling snacks, food, and beverages. Why would the owners undercut their licensed vendors?" Red Hood posed the question.

"Maybe we should check it out," Fairchild changed her mind.

Inside the concourse, multiple vendors were arguing with delivery men. Red Hood stopped again, "Those men are all carrying concealed weapons."

"Are you sure?" Fairchild asked. And then she snorted, "Of course you're sure."

"What can you do?" Red Hood asked Solstice.

Suddenly her skin turned pitch black with blue highlights, "I absorb and control light. I can emit it, shape it, bend it, and alter it."

"The absorption results in the black aura effect. I'd say you're processing about ninety percent of the light contacting your skin," Red Hood surmised, "Fairchild and I are going to intervene in this situation. These men are armed and they undoubtedly have friends scattered throughout the concourse. If things go bad, blast our way out of there. Got it?"

"Of course," Solstice assured Red Hood, "And you gave me almost the exact number ratio that I'm actually processing."

Her opinion of him went up as he and Fairchild waded into potential danger. She suddenly felt a gun barrel pressed against the base of her skull and she got angry, "Where's Kid Flash?"

"Ah, ah, don't even twitch or you and your fleet footed friend dies with the crowds," Half-Ape warned her, "My electro stasis gun will paralyze you too and you'll be left for dead. But make a deal with me and you can have your friend back and you all shall live."

"What about the crowds?" Solstice asked.

"What about them?" Half-Ape posed the question right back at her.

"What do you want?" Solstice tried another question.

"I want to go free once I've blown everyone up," Half-Ape answered truthfully, "Is that so much to ask?"

"You're insane," Solstice decided.

"Insanity and genius are often mistaken for one another," Half-Ape replied, "Although I admit I've walked both sides of that line."

"I can't speak for the group," Solstice gambled.

"Then it's time to get their attention," Half-Ape chuckled malevolently.

* * *

Miss Martian led Superboy and Wonder Girl to Monterey. It was unfathomable to them how M'gann had a better grasp of local geography despite the fact she'd never been there before. They landed outside of the military school and looked around.

"Seems awfully quiet," Wonder Girl observed.

"It usually is just before disaster strikes," M'gann commented.

"You kinda got a dark side, don't you?" Superboy asked.

"The history of Mars is rife with interspecies bloodshed," M'gann replied, "The White Martians are implacable foes who do not tolerate perceived weakness in themselves or others. That is why they deemed the Green Martians a parasite to be eradicated."

"Yet you and J'onn Jonzz survived," Wonder Girl remarked.

"J'onn survived. I merely escaped," M'gann obviously was shutting down the discussion, "It was foolish to alert the base to the coming attack. Preparedness is the greatest insurance against a successful strike."

"Maybe it's not about the attack per se but the threat of one," Wonder Girl theorized, "Or the perception of a threat."

"Red Robin chose well," M'gann decided, "You have a leader's instinct."

"I wouldn't go that far," Wonder Girl demurred.

"Public approval of the government and the military after the Legion used a nuclear device on Edwards Air Force Base. The subsequent loss of life at Ferris Aircraft and the nearby communities built to support the factories were directly attributed to the weakness and ill preparedness of the United States leadership," M'gann recalled.

"Weren't you in the periphery of that blast?" Superboy wondered.

"No closer than you," M'gann retorted, "I'd moved to Arizona by then."

"Where you got your camper," Superboy finally remembered, "You described it as a loose knit community of vagabonds and self exiled people."

"Yes, one could easily label the area a hermitage," M'gann shared.

"This isn't helping figure out what the actual threat is," Wonder Girl reminded them.

"Or if there actually is one," Superboy added.

* * *

Offshore, the _Razorclam_ came to a depth of ninety feet, which was an optimal weapons firing depth. The Clam viewed the video display from the picture the periscope provided. Being an actual genetically modified clam, the Clam's malevolent genius had proven him to be one of the greatest threats upon the high seas. He'd designed his submarine himself.

It still galled the Clam that he'd been defeated by the insufferable Plastic Man on multiple occasions. He'd never deduced why Luthor had taken notice of Plastic Man's Rogue's Gallery but the Clam was more than happy to assist the Legion when called upon and wreak mayhem and profitable havoc in the process.

"Mr. Shmee, are our weapons prepared?" Clam asked his first officer.

"Yo-ho, Captain! Four cruise missiles with a thousand kiloton yield each are programmed and ready for launch," Shmee informed his captain as the Clam rested in his aquarium, "In addition, four modified anti-ship missiles are also ready to launch at a moment's notice. As ordered, sir!"

"Then fire at will," the Clam chuckled malevolently.

"All hands, fire all weapons!" Shmee ordered over the intership speaker system.

The _Razorclam_ shuddered in the water as she spat out her deadly deliveries.

* * *

Red Robin arrived at the water treatment plant with Bunker holding on for dear life behind him and Skitter happily trailing them. Bunker hopped off the motorcycle like it was on fire. Calming a tad, he latched his helmet onto the rear bicycle lock. Red Robin pulled his helmet off and looked around.

"It's too quiet," he observed.

"I thought that was a good thing," Bunker opined.

"No, there should be a skeleton crew at bare minimum," Red Robin grew uneasy, "It shouldn't be deserted at midday like this."

Trees fell over, knocked down by a rolling brass monkey that was fifty feet tall. It held two cymbals in its hands. Red Robin palmed ear plugs out of his utility belt and quickly affixed them in his ears. The monkey began clanging it cymbals.

The windows of the water treatment center and its offices shattered. Bunker thought he was going to go deaf. Skitter scrambled to retreat. The monkey ceased clanging and a squad of men dressed in green uniforms, with green paint on their faces, brandished green weapons.

Toyman followed them out of the debris the monkey had created, "Want to see how I play with my little green army men?"


	9. Chapter 9

26

Saturn Queen received the message she'd been expecting from Luthor so she relayed it to Lightning Lord, "Mekt, Luthor has our temporary headquarters prepared and it's available for our use. I'll take the Justice Leagues and secure the site."

"Any particular reason the rest of us are staying behind?" Lightning Lord asked.

"The Justice League of America and the remnant of the JSA All Stars have landed in Paris and the local police are convoying them across the city now," Saturn Queen explained, "The Crime Syndicate and the Legion forces gathered here should be enough to bloody their noses under your leadership."

"Bloody but don't kill?" Lightning Lord was surprised.

"Remember all of those alternate timelines we observed before being captured and imprisoned in the very time we sought to change?" Saturn Queen asked a semi-rhetorical question, "In all of those the JLA and the All Stars were the last to break. We only to keep softening them up until we have everyone else of consequence under our thumb and then we can completely and finally destroy the JLA and All Stars."

"What else should I know about them?" Lightning Lord asked Eve Aries to recall information from her time as Tessa Richardson-Arthur.

"The All Stars are the idealists but most of them are young and relatively inexperienced. But the Shining Knight will be with them and he'll be hell on wheels trying to find me," Saturn Queen described the teams, "The JLA are the pragmatists. They'll employ brutal, and even lethal, means to stop us."

"That goes against the Justice League's supposed 'code'," Lightning Lord commented.

"The JLA is sponsored by the American government and run by their ARGUS agency. In the timelines where we didn't intervene, the JLA continues to serve their country until masked mystery men and women are outlawed except for the newly refurbished JLU that Superman leads thirty-five years from now. Even he bows before the authority of the estate once again by then."

"My supposed team's rate of success against foes like the JLA and All Stars doesn't inspire confidence," Lightning Lord grumbled.

"As long as they know it's just a delaying action with a clean exit guaranteed, they'll rise to the challenge," Saturn Queen promised, "Their collective heads are puffed up over their combined victories over the JLU and JLI. They'll be eager to add a JLA notch to their belts. Particularly the Crime Syndicate."

"All right, you'd best be going then," Lightning Lord urged her.

"Your destination coordinates have already been uploaded into you boom tube controller," Saturn Queen promised him, "And this will give me an opportunity to check on Cosmic King."

"You think you'll need to?" Lightning Lord asked, "Because it'll offend him if you do."

"This is Laevar we're talking about. The only hotter heads in our Legion are Sun Emperor's and Titania's," she reminded him.

"Good point," Lightning Lord admitted, "I'll rally my troops while you march yours onward."

Lightning Lord gently took hold of Saturn Queen's arm before she departed, "Take care, Eve. This is our biggest operation ever. The slightest miscalculation and we erase our timeline altogether. And potentially ourselves with it."

"I know, Mekt," Saturn Queen reassured him, "But we have to have faith on this one. You remember what faith was like, don't you?"

There was a hint of instability in his eyes as he said, "Yes."

* * *

Inside the Dome, Killer Frost was still hunting Gypsy down, "Hello? Where did you go off to I wonder?"

"None of your business," a disembodied voice replied.

Killer Frost looked around and thought for a second that Gypsy was employing her camouflage powers again. But the voice was deeper and huskier than the teenager's. Then a mist came billowing out of the closest air vent and the grill covering the vent began to melt as it did so.

Killer Frost smirked, "Vapor, I presume."

Psi had bragged about dispersing Vapor into the breeze. Which this turn of events meant Psi's boasts were her usual brand. Nothing but hot air.

"You do know mists, vapors, and gases can be frozen. Right?" Killer Frost had to wonder.

"You won't get a chance," Vapor pushed up against the ceiling and went through the seams of the access panels and into the joists above.

Killer Frost heard an ungodly amount of hissing noises and she began to back away. Suddenly the ceiling struts and joists began to come crashing down, blocking the corridor. She shook her head in amusement.

"This won't stop me for long, Vapor," she advised the JLI Deputy Field Commander.

"It doesn't have to," Vapor floated down the unobstructed hallway.

* * *

Vapor went through the cracks around the door to the command center. Gypsy was at the security monitors reporting in to what sounded like Little Mermaid and Godiva. Vapor called out to her.

"Killer Frost is on her way. I slowed her down but she's going to get here regardless of what I do about it. We have to get you out of here," Vapor informed her.

"But how?" Gypsy wondered.

"Lift the console panel to you left. There will be a red button. Hit it," Vapor instructed.

Gypsy complied and hydraulic piston shoved out a section of the rear wall so Vapor added, "There's a hidden passageway that leads to the gardens. Go through it and hit the blue button on your way out. I'll be right behind you."

Gypsy complied and the wall section sealed itself again. But Vapor was already in the hidden passageway. She melted down the pistons so the door wouldn't open itself again. Then she billowed her way outside. A stiff breeze was blowing now and Vapor was still having difficulty keeping herself cohesive so she reverted back to her human form.

And then a sharp pain lanced through her side and blood began to pour from it. Leaning against the wall she sank down to a sitting position and pulled her tunic up. A large swathe of flesh had been torn out of her side. Vapor had suspected she hadn't pulled all of herself together after what Psi had done to her. Now she knew the full truth of it.

Gypsy suddenly reappeared from scouting ahead, "Omigod! You're hurt."

"Only while I live," Vapor grimly joked.

"Dammit! You'll bleed out if I try and get help," Gypsy predicted, "You're going to have to come with me."

Gypsy had joined the original JLU at age fourteen. She'd spent the next five years facing catastrophes except for a brief interlude with her parents and living a typical life. But in all that time, Gypsy had never been this assertive.

"I hear you, boss," Vapor tried to chuckle but it hurt too bad, "I just don't know if I can get up."

Gypsy held out a hand and Vapor used the hand from the side without the gaping wound to accept the offer of help. As it was she still hissed between her teeth with pain and was light headed upon standing. Gypsy pulled Vapor's arm across her shoulder and wrapped her own arm around Vapor's waist.

Slowly they made it out to the police barricades where they were recognized and medical treatment was offered to Vapor while they prepped for an ambulance ride to the hospital. Not quite knowing what else to do, Gypsy rode along and calmly reassured Vapor until the wounded woman fainted from blood loss.

* * *

The police convoy arrived at the Dome. Located behind the barricades, the JLA and All Stars debarked from their vehicles. Col. Trevor had foregone the usual aerial accompaniment of Power Girl, Black Adam, Isis, Hawkman, and Troia. Most of who were highly disgruntled by the fact.

What became apparent the other Justice Leagues were nowhere in sight, Hawkman couldn't resist a dig, "It seems we're already too late, Colonel."

"Yet the Crime Syndicate and the Legion are simply holding position. So there has to be something worthwhile to hold," Trevor remarked.

"Or perhaps they already knew we were coming," Black Adam said haughtily, "Therefore we never had an element of surprise to lose."

"We could argue this until doomsday," Trevor admitted.

"Which could very well come tomorrow if our source is reliable," Black Adam gibed.

"Enough," Trevor tersely ordered, "The Justice Leagues are gone. If they knew about our arrival than that may indicate a weakness in the Legion's hold over them. In any case, the task at hand is to designate targets and secure prisoners for interrogation."

"For once, I agree with you," Hawkman allowed.

"Thank you, Carter. Your vote of confidence means absolutely nothing to me," Trevor jabbed, "Gather around people. We're doing this one by the numbers. And remember, our secondary objective besides securing prisoners is to buy time for Little Mermaid, Godiva, and Goldilocks to infiltrate the Dome and secure the security recordings so we can determine precisely how the JLI lost and how the Legion asserted control over them."

* * *

Power Girl found herself immediately intercepted by Ultraman. His technique was its usual blunt, brute force approach. But he was also highly motivated by some burning passion. Galatea couldn't know that it was his desire to please his "father", Lightning Lord. All she knew was that she was the focus of his wrath. Which suited her just fine. She'd owed him for a long time and he was due some punishment, not just on his own behalf, but also that of Superman.

* * *

Black Adam was confronted by Superwoman. Whereas Ultraman was your basic thug with super powers, Superwoman was a finely honed living weapon. The Marvel Family was empowered with all knowledge and skill regarding combat through Achilles. The Black Marvels had no such patron. The Egyptian pantheon was universally good at one thing: death. Pitted against a furious Amazon, Black Adam found himself sorely tested as he began to actually endure some punishment.

* * *

Isis met up with the new Power Ring. Her heart went out towards Jessica Cruz because it was obvious the Ring of Volthoom was tormenting her and playing upon her personal fears. But the manifestations of those fears were superimposed over Isis, therefore making her a target of Power Ring's misguided wrath. As much as Isis pitied Jessica, Power Ring was too great a threat to leave unchecked.

* * *

Question and Huntress found themselves facing off against Atomica. Question advised his wife, "Avoid near proximity. She will attempt to enter your body and create catastrophic damage."

"Oh poo!" Atomica mock pouted, "You've gone and spoiled my fun. But I don't have to be inside you to kill you. It's just easier and faster that way."

She shrank out of sight and Question cautioned, "Be ready for anything."

"No shit, Sherlock," Huntress kept searching for Atomica.

As they turned a circle, back to back, Helena Bertinelli was suddenly thrown off of her feet by a growing Atomica. Huntress rolled back onto her feet and drew and fired her crossbow. But Atomica had already shrunk out of the way.

"Crap!" Huntress fumed, "This could take all day."

* * *

Signalman unleashed a flurry of sights and sounds against Batwoman. But it was all to no avail. Batwoman relentlessly closed in on him.

"That the best you got?" she inquired.

"Mother…" Signalman entreated help from a deceased matron that he idolized despite her having thrown him out of the home at age sixteen.

* * *

"Someone tore his cannon hand apart," Speedy noted of KGBeast to Black Canary.

Black Canary signaled Speedy to stand down as she marched on KGBeast while he struggled to pull the bolt on a submachine gun with only one hand to handle the weapon.

"Okay," Speedy backed, "Go flex some muscles."

* * *

Ri and Darknight were assigned to neutralize Darkwing. Darkwing immediately spat on the ground, "Bah! They insult me by pitting a woman against me? I will personally kill every one of you for this outrage."

Ri and Darknight exchanged a puzzled glance. Then Ri merely shrugged and motioned for Darknight to take the lead. Darknight pulled his batons out of his leg holsters and Darkwing removed the hatchets from their housings on his back.

They began a modified style of stick fighting employing and developing original variations as they battled. Which revealed Darkwing had underestimated Darknight's skill. So he was angry at himself and even angrier at Darknight for making him feel that way. And, as anger clouded his judgment, Darknight disarmed Darkwing.

Darkwing began throwing knives from his utility belt. Darknight swatted most of them away, the others he dodged. But finally, one impaled his upper arm. Ri stepped in and pulled the blade free. Then she applied her healing touch and the wound vanished. Giving Darkwing a satisfied smile, she stepped aside again.

And Darkwing's rage burned within him.

* * *

Troia couldn't believe the odds as she'd been assigned to tackle Blockbuster. Troia knew this female Blockbuster was just the latest in a string of them. The last she'd personally executed after a prolonged struggle that wounded and killed dozens of civilians in Fawcett City.

Troia knew from experience that as a Blockbuster's rage grew so their strength did as well. But it limited their intelligence and confused their judgment. So the Blockbuster in question could be easily outwitted as they became increasingly animalistic.

"Didn't I just kill you? Or at least a 'you' with balls hanging down rather than what's left of your boobs. I know there's not much left there but you might want to cover up a bit more. Somebody might go into nipple shock if they realize you're not actually man," Troia mocked Blockbuster.

"Raaagh!" Blockbuster roared at the top of her lungs.

As Blockbuster moved in towards Troia, Donna realized that despite Blockbuster's increasing anger, her intelligence still gleamed as brightly in her eyes. But Rachel Sands had never had a moment's training in how to fight. As Blockbuster she simply relied on brute force and her own increased durability and immunity to most forms of harm. But Donna Troy had trained for half her life in various forms of martial combat. So she knew things were about to get interesting once again.

Blockbuster lunged at Troia and found herself flat on her back. She rose and tried again with similar results. Ultra-Humanite had assured Rachel that the rage wouldn't consume her but she knew she was close to crossing that threshold.

"Okay, warm-ups are done," Troia announced, "Ready to go at it for real now?"

Blockbuster charged like a bull.

* * *

"How many times are we going to do this, Danya?" Hawkman asked Sparrow Hawk.

"You tell me, Carter," Sparrow Hawk snidely replied, "When's it going to finally come down to just one of us walking away? It's hard to come back when you're dead."

"Fine, I can deal with that," Hawkman told her.

"In the air then?" she asked.

"See you there," Hawkman turned and flew in one direction while Sparrow Hawk went the other way.

Then they both turned to come at each other.

* * *

Cyclone stared up at Giganta as she and King Chimera came to fulfill their assignment, "King?"

"I'll distract her, Maxine. You do what you do best," King Chimera urged.

"What the…?" Giganta remarked as the Marvel Family flew past her. Then Sentinel and the original Flash came at her on or near the ground, "No fair! My Flashy ran off and never came back."

"Oh. My. God," Cyclone breathed as she edged near Giganta's skirt line.

"What?" King Chimera impatiently asked.

"She's not wearing any underwear," Cyclone hissed.

King Chimera got an odd look on his face, "Can you imagine finding a pair that either fits or can stretch that far?"

"I suppose," Cyclone was troubled by the expression he'd worn a moment again.

"Just create a tornado already," King Chimera urged.

Giganta swept a kick across the boulevard to attack the "Flash" and she bowled over Cyclone and King Chimera instead.

The All Stars she'd tried fighting vanished. Giganta took a second to process this, "Waitaminute."

She looked down and smirked, "Hiya King, long time no see."

"True enough, Giganta," King admitted.

"Trying to get under my skirt again, I see," Giganta grinned.

Cyclone shot daggers at King Chimera. King Chimera shook his head, "It wasn't like that this time."

"Too bad for you, I would've let you," Giganta made ready to stomp on Cyclone and King Chimera.

* * *

Volcana had fireballs rotating in midair over her hand, "What? They sent the junior varsity?"

Lightning tried not to be offended. After all her father, Black Lightning, and his protégé, Black Vulcan, were the world famous ones. Even her sister, Thunder, had a degree of infamy having died a hero's death with the Outsiders.

"You really sure you want to do this?" Lightning asked Volcana.

"Stop, you're scaring me," Volcana deadpanned.

Lightning unleashed a torrent of electricity at Volcana. But nothing happened. Lightning was horribly confused.

"Benefits of working with Livewire in the Legion of Doom," Volcana sneered, "You get insulated shoes. I'm not grounded, honey. So your little sparking displays are butt ugly useless."

Lightning started squirming and Volcana smirked, "Hold that pose `cause here comes my shot."

* * *

Count Vertigo chuckled as he faced Dr. Mid-Nite, "In the good old days my ocular vertigo inducer would've been useless against you because it was visually based and you're blind. But these are the brand new days."

Dr. Mid-Nite threw down a blackout bomb and disappeared in the stygian darkness. Count Vertigo started receiving blows from every side as Dr. Mid-Nite randomly shifted around Vertigo. He'd correctly deduced that Count Vertigo's latest generation vertigo inducer was still line of sight. And he'd spotted it on the Count's belt.

As Count Vertigo was systematically pummeled he finally screamed out, "Stop!"

* * *

"Hold fast, varlet!" Shining Knight commanded Multiplex and his duplicates, "I shall have words with thy queen."

"Saturn Queen?" Multiplex had to ask, "Sorry chump. She already split. And speaking of split…"

Multiplex began dividing and producing more doppelgangers. Sir Justin's sword would cleave through one and reduce it to crystalline shards when another would attack him. But Sir Justin had kept track of where the original Multiplex was and he was systematically carving his way towards him.

"I have thee now, arch fiend!" Shining Knight proclaimed.

* * *

"Yer lookin' different these days," Wildcat observed of El Diablo.

"I got a whole new attitude," flames licked and danced off of El Diablo's hands.

"So yer gonna be a punk `bout this. And here I was think' ya could actually be a contender," Wildcat scornfully derided El Diablo.

El Diablo snuffed the flames out, "I don't need fire to burn you."

"Good," Wildcat grinned, "`Cause I ain't had a real challenge all week."

* * *

Vibe shook Shrapnel apart with his vibration powers before the sentient collection of metallic shards could "explode" himself outwards. Vibe then applied his powers liberally and frequently to keep Shrapnel from reassembling.

"Geez!" Vibe groaned, "If I'd wanted babysitting duties I would have stayed home with _mamacita_."

* * *

Katana slowly drew the SoulTaker from its scabbard across her back. Black Spider did the same with a pair of sickles. Katana nodded towards his hands.

"Interesting choice of weapons," she unobserved.

"I heard you killed Sickle," Black Spider commented, "The Yakuza and the Triads are full of stories of his death. I offer my congratulations. He was a particularly bad man."

"But not as dangerous as Black Spiders that hide their true allegiance," Katana noted, "Or have trained with the Oshinara Clan."

"I should have known you of all people would recognize the training," Black Spider bowed at the waist, "How did you learn?"

"Security footage from an operation you took part in two weeks ago. The style and substance were unmistakable. As is the Oshinara Clan's devout allegiance to Regulus and Basilisk's cause," Katana explained.

"Who have you told?" Black Spider was more than mildly curious.

"No one as of yet," Katana admitted, "You wish to betray the Legion of Doom to Basilisk? Feel free. Come after my allies and I will defend them to your death and that of Regulus himself if need be."

"You have been candid so I shall return the courtesy," Black Spider conceded, "The Legion has targeted Regulus and Basilisk for conversion. Majestic will follow in Regulus' footsteps."

"And why tell me this?" Katana wondered.

"Because you won't live to share the knowledge," Black Spider vowed.

Katana decided she would enjoy this.

* * *

"Are we supposed to know her?" Animal Man asked Crimson Fox.

" _Non_ , I do not believe so," Crimson Fox decided.

"You can both kiss my ass," Psi retorted, "And that goes double for you, Frenchie."

"That doesn't work for us," Crimson Fox said.

"Aw, too bad. You can die in true love's embrace," Psi reached out with her telekinesis and began choking both of them, "And the name is Psi. You deserve to know who killed you at least."

* * *

Hawk barely ducked under King Shark's claws while Dove vaulted over his head. Hawk delivered an uppercut and had to ask while King Shark stumbled backwards, "What the hell do they feed you?"

"Anything I want," King Shark answered, "Today chicken and pheasant are on the menu."

"We need to keep him moving. Exertion and exposure outside of water will dehydrate him. As he dries out, he'll become more simplistic and the shark nature will overwhelm him as he weakens," Dove explained to Hawk.

King Shark was worried now. Dove had just deduced all of his weaknesses. He had to finish them off quickly.

* * *

Little Mermaid flew to the rear entrance to the Dome. She carried Godiva and Goldilocks who'd each created tethers and harnesses with their own hair. As she sat them down, their hair reverted back to its "natural" state. Ulla inputted her access code into the door's security system. It opened to allow them entrance.

"Gypsy stopped reporting in before we arrived," Ulla fretted, "Something may have happened to her."

"We need access to the security logs so we can determine if someone reached her," Godiva commented.

"She may not be herself any longer," Goldilocks reminded her, "Saturn Queen's powers are very subversive."

"I doubt anyone got to her," Godiva countered, "She was manning the security station and had eyes on everything inside as well as the perimeter and immediate airspace. And there are a dozen exits to this facility, some of which are only known to Dr. Mist, Belphegor, Jack, and Vapor."

"Do you hear that?" Ulla asked, "It's coming from the command center."

A tirade of curses could be plainly heard. Ulla rushed into the room, "she may be in trouble!"

Silence loomed. Goldilocks pulled Godiva aside, "Is that kind of outburst typical for Gypsy?"

"Not really," Godiva admitted, "And no one's talking. Not even Ulla."

"Especially not Ulla," Goldilocks warned, "Push on. I'll meet you in there."

Goldilocks hair extended to the ceiling and removed a panel. Then it lifted Goldilocks into the joists. Godiva had to commend her sister on her resourcefulness.

* * *

Godiva peered around the doorway and saw a frozen Little Mermaid in the center of the room, "Killer Frost, is it then?"

"Show yourself and we can get the freeze dried portion of our day over with," Killer Frost retorted as she stayed out of sight behind Ulla.

"How about we go separate ways," Godiva suggested, "Each of us to the way we came."

"I want to know who I'm dealing with," Killer Frost replied, "I promise you I won't freeze you on sight."

"Very well," Godiva entered the room and rounded Ulla.

"Oh. My," Killer Frost gasped, "You're even more beautiful in real life."

"Pardon?" Killer Frost's reaction confused Godiva.

"I have a collection of all your magazine interviews. I especially love the _Cosmopolitan_ , _Vogue_ , and _Esquire_ shoots. I had the _Maxim_ as well but El Diablo stole that one. And I have a DVR collection of your news appearances and talk show interviews," Killer Frost admitted.

"Um…thank you?" Godiva had never had a clue that Killer Frost was a fan.

"I always hoped we'd come face to face, especially in Paris," Killer Frost gushed, "Look, let's forget everything and go out for coffee and éclairs. Afterwards we can stroll the banks of the Seine. What do you say?"

"Are you actually flirting with me?" Godiva had to ask.

"No, I'm actually asking you out on a date," Killer Frost clarified.

"Aren't you a killer? After all it's in the name," Godiva replied.

"And I would love to see you naked on horseback riding around the city. After all, it's all in the name, right?" Killer Frost teased her.

"This can't possibly work out," Godiva groaned.

"Have you tried it?" Killer Frost asked, "Never say something is impossible until it's been attempted."

"Maybe a date," Godiva said in a rush, "I can't commit to more right now."

"Hey, it's a start. And I'm Louise. Louise Lincoln," Killer Frost gushed

"Dorcas Leigh," Godiva responded reflexively.

The panel above Killer Frost's head came crashing down and a tendril of Goldilocks' hair wrapped around her throat and lifted her off of her feet.

"No!" Godiva screamed and rolled a chair beneath Killer Frost so she could breathe.

"What the deuce are you playing at, Dora?" Goldilocks yelled down from the ceiling.

"Let her go!" Godiva pleaded, "I have this under control."

"Control? She 's halfway into your knickers," Goldilocks accused.

Killer Frost took hold of Goldilocks hair and Godiva tried to warn her, "Don't freeze…"

But it was too late. And Killer Frost discovered that Goldilocks' enchanted hair was able to easily withstand subzero temperatures and not shatter when frozen, "Damn it! It was worth a try."

Goldilocks lifted Killer Frost again and Godiva, "I'm telling you to put her down."

"I had to get her off the sodding chair to do so," Goldilocks grated as she set Killer Frost on her own feet. Then she lowered herself down from the ceiling, "Since my hair is frozen around Ms. Frost's neck here, I suggest we find a way to thaw it out."

"Look, don't do anything to her. She's in my custody and I'll take care of her," Godiva warned Goldilocks.

"I respect your choice in genders, Dorcas, but she's a Legionnaire," Goldilocks warned her sister in return.

"And so were you when I was defending you," Godiva reminded her, "And look where you are now."

"Very well," Goldilocks sighed, "I defer to your judgment. Now, about my hair and her neck?"

"Do you have any ideas?" Godiva asked her sister.

"Dora, it's your bloody headquarters. You have to have some idea of what's available to do the job," Goldilocks groaned.

"Be right back," Godiva promised as she had an insight.

"So, what can you tell me about your sister?" Killer Frost grinned.

"Dorcas and I haven't really spoken in years. There's been more conversation between us today than in the last five years put together," Goldilocks explained.

"Do you know if I'm her first female attraction?" Killer Frost got to the point.

Goldilocks studied Killer Frost as she answered, "Dora doesn't think I knew she had two different girlfriends at boarding school. She never told our parents but she wrote about it in her diary which is how I learned the truth."

"Naughty girl," Killer Frost chided her, "What about you?" And girlfriends?"

"I was in a sanitarium most of my adolescence. They frowned upon 'fraternization'," Goldilocks grimly told her.

"Ooh! Touchy subject. Sorry," Killer Frost decided to leave that one alone.

Goldilocks just rolled her eyes.

* * *

Outside of the Dome, the JLA and the All Stars continued to battle the Crime Syndicate and Legion. Power Girl, tiring of the prolonged engagement, drove a knee into Ultraman's gut. Her left cross destabilized him and her right propelled him into the street below. Power Girl landed directly in front of Ultraman to goad him on.

She blocked his left cross with her right forearm. Then she threw a left jab into his nose. As his eyes watered, she knocked him off of his feet with a right cross. Ultraman flashed her in the face with heat vision. As he stood, the wristband he wore began flashing a green light. Not wanting to disappoint this "father" by disobeying the summons, he darted off.

* * *

"Shazam!" Black Adam cried aloud. Mystical lightning washed over him and healed his wounds while it jolted Superwoman off of him.

"I forgot about that little knack of yours," Superwoman admitted while her long, raven hair stood out at end. Her wristband began to flash and she frowned, "Time's up. Time to pay the check."

This time she kicked him, toes pointed, in the throat. Gagging and choking Black Adam found himself unable to breathe and unable to speak to summon the lightning once more. Superwoman studied this with satisfaction in her eyes and flew off.

* * *

Isis staged a full frontal assault on Power Ring. The Ring of Volthoom didn't need terrifying visions to motivate Jessica at that point. Isis threw all of the elements at her command at Power Ring. In turn, Power Ring threw the full might of her ring against Isis.

Power Ring shrugged off lightning, fire, gale force winds, rain, and plants worthy of Poison Ivy growing out of the Dome's gardens and trying to grasp her. But Isis was beaten, pummeled, sliced, and pierced by Power Ring's constructs. Her healing factor kept pace with them all but she still felt every wound.

Isis finally closed to deliver a right cross to Power Ring. Jessica tumbled through the air. Stabilizing herself, Power Ring found she had a choice but the Ring Volthoom, facing Isis' courage, encouraged her to exit the area.

Isis was about to pursue when a premonition came to her. Racing to Black Adam's side, she saw his difficulty and wrapped her arms around him and said, "I am Isis!"

The lightning descended upon them both and it healed Black Adam. Black Adam gazed at his wife with adoring eyes, "I am truly and marvelously healed, my beloved wife. How did you come to know I was in distress?"

"Isis herself told me," Isis admitted, "I knew I had to return to your side and assist you in whatever peril had befallen you."

"Thanks to her, and your keen wisdom in obeying the summons of your goddess, you have literally saved my life," Black Adam shared with her, "For I was sorely injured and even my vaunted endurance was waning."

"Then it is a blessed day to have received this gift from the goddess," Isis happily declared, "For the world needs Black Adam just as Adrianna Tomaz and Osiris Adam need Teth-Adam"

"Rest easy, Isis," Black Adam urged, "For you have both. You have since our meeting and you will continue to throughout the centuries. For I endured four thousand years alone in anticipation of our meeting. Now that it has occurred, we shall spend the next four thousand and beyond side by side."

Isis only received her power from the goddess Isis but Black Adam received empowerment from the Egyptian pantheon. Including receiving divine wisdom from Zahuti. As Black Adam swept her into his arms and passionately kissed her, the same way he had since their first kiss, her doubts evaporated.

* * *

Atomica tried to unbalance Question but he spun off of her growing frame. Swinging around, he punched her in the jaw. Atomica staggered into Huntress' grip. Tired of the rigmarole, Huntress gripped Atomica's tunic as she punched the Latina in the face. Then she punched her again just for the hell of it.

Atomica landed on her butt and wiped the blood from her face and lips. Her wristband flashed, "Sorry, ducklings. That's my cue to exit."

Atomica shrunk and vanished once again. Question and Huntress stayed poised and ready. After some time had passed, Huntress had to comment.

"I think she really did ditch us this time, Q," she remarked.

"As ever, your powers of observation or impeccably clairvoyant," Question assessed.

"Just for once, just say 'I agree'. It's not that hard," Huntress said testily.

"Very well, I agree," Question testily stated.

"Don't give me attitude," Huntress snorted.

"And you're a fine one to discuss attitudes," Question retorted.

"Aren't you just being sassy today?" Huntress asked.

"Perhaps the fighting brings it out in me," Question observed.

"Well, our 'make up sex' is beyond heaven on Earth," Huntress opined.

"It was the wristband that caught her attention and caused her to depart. It was flashing a green signal, I believe. Could it have been a prearranged order to withdraw?" Question asked.

"So where is it she's supposed to go?" Huntress asked.

"Now that's the question," Question admitted, "Let's look around and see what we can discover."

"Okay, but when we fly out of here we're joining the Mile High Club," Huntress decided.

"Interesting," Question mused.

* * *

Signalman kept giving ground to Batwoman. And that was simply because when he didn't she kicked his ass. He did try to rally for a counterattack.

"Karate? Not bad but you don't know much and you're sloppy," Batwoman commented as she punched him again.

Signalman stumbled and fell over. He rubbed his jaw, "So you have polarized lenses in that headgear of yours. The facial contouring is pretty slick too. Try this out."

Signalman dropped his weapon of last resort. It was a strobe bomb. He'd exceeded the typical lumen scale with this one. Hidden behind his cape and wearing protective lenses he was spared the blinding flash. Batwoman wasn't so lucky.

He knew her polarizing lenses kept her from being permanently blinded but her optic nerves were overloaded and she would be legally blind for the next several hours. He got up and waved his hand in front of her face while she groped around.

His wristband flashed, "Aha! I got my signal to depart."

Batwoman blindly threw a backhand at him that he easily evaded by stepping back. Signalman chuckled, "Until later then."

"Get back here!" she angrily yelled as he departed.

* * *

Black Canary tore KGBeast apart. She broke his ribs, knocked his teeth out, dislocated the shoulder of his arm, and broke his tibia. Finally, she broke his hip when he impacted from her throwing him to the ground. Even Speedy had been wincing as Black Canary methodically crippled KGBeast.

She joined Black Canary as KGBeast lay on the ground and moaned. Then his wristband began to flash green. Speedy drew an arrow and stood poised to release it. Black Canary unclasped the band and the light turned red. Black Canary tackled Speed as the band detonated and shrapnel broke nearby windows.

"Um…you can get off me now," Mia Deardon grunted.

Dinah Drake Lance rolled off and sat upright to inspect the damage. Speedy rose to her feet, "It's a good thing he was already missing that hand."

Black Canary silently chuckled over that observation.

* * *

Darknight was just as systematic in his battle against Darkwing. But Darkwing was just as skilled and deadly as Darknight. Darkwing recognized every one of the fighting systems Darknight brought to bear, especially when they were reduced to hand to hand combat.

Darkwing began to sacrifice defense in order to pursue his attack on Darknight more effectively. Eventually he smashed Darknight through a passenger side window in an abandoned car. As Darkwing stepped back to select Darknight's method of execution, he was unprepared when Ri struck him aside. Drawing her twin Butterfly Dao swords, she prepared to face down Darkwing.

Darkwing wondered what it was about Justice Leagues that pitted inferior women against him. That colored version of history ignored the fact nearly every female JLer he'd faced had defeated him. But his wristband began flashing.

"No!" he bellowed, "Not until this bitch is dead."

He unclasped the band but before he could fully remove it, it detonated and blew his left hand completely off. Darkwing stared at his stump in disbelief. Dropping to his knees he was transfixed by the sight of his wound.

Ri sheathed her swords and picked up the dismembered hand. Taking hold of Darkwing's wrist she pressed the hand back to his arm. As he stared, the flesh and bones fused back together.

Ri stepped back and waited to see his response. As he got to his feet he threw down smoke pellets and withdrew while Ri and Darknight's vision was obscured. Darkwing justified the retreat by convincing himself he'd kill Ri the next time they fought.

"There is gratitude for you," Darknight commented.

"In his own strange way, I think it was a display of thanks," Ri judged.

* * *

Blockbuster was destroying scads of property but she hadn't landed a truly effective blow against Troia. Finally, she ripped a lamppost out of the sidewalk and used it as a bat to knock Troia off into the distance. Then her wristband flashed several times and Blockbuster flung the lamppost over her shoulder and trudged off.

* * *

Hawkman displayed far greater skill at flying and fighting than Sparrow Hawk had ever experienced from him before. Their aerial combat, sword to sword, reminded Sparrow Hawk of her days training on her Thanagar. And his ferocity reminded her of the Gordanians.

But Carter spotted Troia flailing as she hurtled across the Dome's roof. As he hesitated, Sparrow Hawk started to stab him in the torso. But he saw her movement and only received a grazing wound. He backhanded her with his free hand so hard it knocked her helmet clean off.

As Hawkman flew to Troia's side, Danya retrieved her helmet and placed it back on her head. Tracking Hawkman down, she saw him tending to Troia and she hesitated. Finding herself paralyzed by mixed feelings, Sparrow Hawk flew off seconds before her wristband instructed her to.

* * *

A tornado formed next to Giganta and sucked her in before she could step on either Cyclone or King Chimera. She screamed as she was turned around and around. Shrinking to her natural height, Giganta hung from a lamppost when Cyclone dissipated the tornado. Giganta got Lightning Lord's summons after she dropped back down to the sidewalk and she ran off.

"Quick! We can still catch her," King Chimera urged.

"And what exactly will you do with her when you do?" Cyclone folded her arms across her chest.

"Maxine?" he wasn't quite certain of her mood or intent.

"What did she mean when she asked if you were trying to get under her skirt _again_?" Cyclone demanded to know.

King Chimera sighed because he knew she wouldn't like the answer.

* * *

Volcana unleashed a blazing wave of fire at Lightning. Lightning hunkered down and let it pass over her. Then she started streaming electricity in Volcana's direction. But not at Volcana.

"Are you just plain stupid?" Volcana was incredulous, "It. Won't. Work."

Then Volcana took notice that Lightning was aiming at a fire hydrant, "What the…?"

The threads holding the cap melted and the cap blew off and narrowly avoided Volcana's legs. But the stream of pressurized water did knock her over. And soaked her from head to toe.

Lightning charged the entire area and Volcana convulsed as she was electrocuted. Volcana's wristband flashed green several times than reverted to its inactive state. Lightning studied it and thought about removing it but her gut told her to leave well enough alone.

* * *

Dr. Mid-Nite mercifully knocked Count Vertigo out. He unclipped the vertigo inducer from the Count's belt and was studying it when Vertigo's wristband began signaling the withdrawal. Dr. Mid-Nite held the band close enough to observe without removing it. He could because this wasn't mere light. It was holographic light. Which meant the band was capable of much more sophisticated communications.

* * *

Multiplex left a cadre of duplicates behind to battle Sir Justin as he made his retreat. Shining Knight destroyed all of them in a frenzy and then he began prowling about looking for his one true foe.

* * *

El Diablo finally realized he wasn't going to win this bout against Wildcat. He blazed a wall of fire between himself and Wildcat. And he found he was grateful when the recall notice came.

* * *

Vibe was taken unawares when Multiplex hit him over the head with a chunk of blacktop ripped up earlier when the JLI fought the Legion. Multiplex divided himself multiple times and gathered all of Shrapnel's constituent parts so he could easily reassemble.

"Thanks," Shrapnel said, "Maybe you're not as dumb as everyone says you are."

"Gee, thanks. How generous of you to say," Multiplex scornfully replied, "We've been ordered to pull out."

"Then let's get the hell out of here," Shrapnel sounded relieved.

* * *

Black Spider was reeling. For all of his training, he was barely staying alive. And he could easily tell Katana was largely holding back. The ARGUS files that the Legion did have access to stated that Katana had been considered a natural countermeasure again Wonder Woman or Barda. Now Black Spider understood that assessment.

But Blockbuster dropped a building on Katana as she happened upon the fight. Black Spider saw it coming and still hardly had time to get out of the way. Rather than complain, Black Spider decided to count this turn of events as good fortune.

Animal Man began emitting a strangled whooping cry. Psi became so annoyed she released the JLers while she covered her ears. Animal Man had never realized just how annoying peacocks could be until then.

Crimson Fox went on the attack. After she'd landed several savage blows, Psi responded with her TK talent. Her "shove" was so hard it put Animal Man and Crimson Fox through a brick wall. Psi's wristband flashed and she found herself actually grateful to retreat.

* * *

"Meat! Meat! Meat!" King Shark began shouting as he attacked Hawk.

"We've got him where we want him," Dove assessed.

"I don't want him at all," Hawk complained as he tried fending the ravenous King Shark off.

Before either Hawk or Dove could subdue him, King Shark pushed through the police barricades and began running down the Parisian streets. Hawk tried keeping up on foot while Dove flew head and cleared people out of King Shark's path. As if sensing the course of the river, King Shark navigated straight to the Seine and dove in.

But not being satisfied with fresh water, King Shark propelled himself down river towards the Atlantic. Dove left Hawk behind and followed for a time but when she was certain King Shark wasn't going to deviate and eat someone, she broke off her pursuit.

* * *

Col. Trevor led the assault against Lightning Lord. Unsure of what Mekt Ranzz's powers were, but taking an educated guess from the lightning bolts on his chest, the JLers attacked. Starling and Trevor used conventional firearms in the fight.

"We should have swapped out for armor piercing loads," Starling observed, "He's just superheating the lead with his electrical powers and melting our bullets before they reach him."

"True, but maybe we can wear him down," Trevor hoped.

Nightshade came at him from his other side while Enchantress flanked him from the other. Bat-Girl and Black Orchid stood by in case Lightning Lord's powers faltered. And then Silver Swan brought her swan song into it and truly threatened Lightning Lord.

He created a frenzied electrical storm that drove back or stunned everybody. Then he signaled the withdrawal. As the Crime Syndicate and Legionnaires reported in, he observed they seemed to be a few bodies short.

"This is a planned, temporary setback. In doing this we wound and distract our enemy from searching out our location while we move forward with our plans of assimilating Earth's super teams into the Legion," Lightning Lord rallied them, "But for now, we'll take a break and then move out again tomorrow."

He activated the boom tune and they left that part of the world.

* * *

The prisoners were taken into custody by arriving ISA agents. Agent Gwen Cormaugh, the liaison to all the Justice League groups, stood by waiting for answers. Trevor and his team were revived.

"I take it they're gone," Trevor said wearily.

"It seemed ta be their plan all along," Wildcat pointed out, "They knocked us around a bit then took off whether they had the upper hand or not."

"Did we take casualties?" Trevor asked.

"Batwoman has been temporarily blinded," Wildcat informed him, "Doc Mid-Nite says she'll be fine though. No one else took serious damage but we got three fatalities from the International League."

"Who?" Trevor always hated this part.

"They killed Jack O'Lantern, Wild Huntsman, the Huntsman's horse and hound fer cripe's sake, and they offed Bushmaster," Wildcat reported, "Also, with the ISA here, the French Police are reportin' that two JLers got outta the Dome alive. One was seriously wounded so they took `em both ta the hospital."

"Bat-Girl, Starling, get the name of the hospital where they took the JLers. Go there and find out who they are and what they know. One's wounded so their debrief has to be conducted in the field," Trevor instructed.

"C'mon, Lizzie. We get to party in the old town tonight," Starling grinned.

"I want those reports _before_ you party," Trevor insisted.

"He's never been any fun," Starling pouted as she and Bat-Girl went looking for a local police official.

"Power Girl, I need you to set up a perimeter," Trevor ordered, "No one without a badge gets in or out."

"Yes, Colonel," Galatea nodded.

"Yer headed inta the Dome, ain't ya?"Wildcat realized.

"It has answers we need," Trevor insisted.

"Lemme round up a coupla All Stars and we'll go with," Wildcat requested.

"I need to collect the Question and the Huntress anyway. Meet me at the main entrance," Trevor told him.

* * *

They made it to the command center and found it occupied. Gwen had come with them so she led Huntress and Question to the security station, "The ISA installed these systems. They're identical to what we use at our precincts. Just let me know what you're after and I'll pull it up."

"Let's begin with the Legion's assault on the JLI," Question instructed.

Godiva had been using her own hair dryer to thaw Goldilocks' hair out. Finally Goldilocks broke her hair out of the ice and ran it through her closed hand to shuck the remaining ice off. Goldilocks accepted the hair dryer and started pinpointing the problem areas.

Trevor approached Killer Frost, "Frost, you're under arrest. I'm taking you into custody."

"Pardon me, Colonel. But Killer Frost is already in custody. Justice League International custody in general and my custody in particular," Godiva intervened.

"You don't have a team to hold her with," Trevor argued.

"Colonel, you lead the Justice League of _America_. Is this even remotely America? This is Paris. France is a far, far thing from being America. You have no jurisdiction. Whereas I, as a member of the JLI, have jurisdiction in every UN member state including your own country. Now kindly back the hell off before I tie you up in the World Court for the next decade," Godiva threatened.

Trevor looked helplessly at Killer Frost. She merely smirked back at him. He didn't like the implications.

"Has anyone tried thawing Little Mermaid out?" Trevor asked.

"You're going to want to get her to water as soon as she's thawed out," Killer Frost saw Trevor's glare, "I'm just saying."

"It's a sound principle for Atlanteans. Even a half-Atlantean like Ulla. Being thawed will dry their tissues out and she'll need to be submerged without delay. In salt water if it's feasible," Dr. Mid-Nite prescribed.

Trevor activated his transceiver, "Power Girl, hand over command to Black Adam. You're needed inside."

She appeared seconds later, "You called?"

Dr. Mid-Nite explained the principles of what was going to occur. Galatea nodded, "I understand. Stand back and get some towels."

Her heat vision quickly melted most of the ice until there was a thin veneer coating Ulla's skin. When it cracked, steam began hissing out of it. Killer Frost shouted.

"Get her to water! Now!" she pleaded.

Suddenly Ulla and Power Girl were missing and a strong wind blew through the room. Trevor studied Killer Frost, "I'm surprised you care. It belies your reputation."

"Some reputations are deserved and others are hyperbole," Killer Frost replied, "Let's just say I started out wanting to be bad but it's lost its appeal. I never meant to freeze Little Mermaid but she just rushed in and startled me. Freezing her was just reflex. Sort of like the muscle memory in your trigger finger."

"She didn't freeze me even though she had the opportunity to," Godiva pointed out, "But she gave her word and she held to it."

"That's really kind of you to say so," Killer Frost demurred, "But I'm a super villain. I really did intend on freezing you after already taking your teammate down."

Godiva looked wounded and Trevor wondered just what the hell was going on here? He got a call from Black Adam, _"Col. Trevor, an Inspector Jobeau has arrived and is requesting to speak to you."_

"Do you know an Inspector Jobeau?" Trevor asked Godiva.

"Yes, Gerard Jobeau is the INTERPOL liaison with the JLI," she answered.

"Send him in," Trevor instructed.

"Hey! JLI person, we've got bits and pieces of two of your robot buddies. Where do you want them all?" Vibe was still nursing a headache.

"Further down the hall is a room marked 'Mechanoid', put Reddy and Chrysalis in there," Godiva said.

"The city coroners came and collected your friends," Cyclone informed Godiva.

She gave Killer Frost a sharp look. The Legionnaire held up both hands, "Don't look at me. I didn't kill anyone. This is the first I've heard of it."

Godiva wanted to believe Killer Frost's good faith but it was becoming increasingly difficult to. And she could see that Killer Frost recognized that fact and it frustrated her. And Killer Frost's record with handling frustration was a very poor one indeed.

"Does anyone know what the hell happened to Guy Gardner?" Trevor suddenly asked as Nightshade and Enchantress entered the room.


	10. Chapter 10

26

The Blackhawks made their way through Gotham's continually war torn streets. The average citizen still wasn't recovered from the stress of the Court of Owls bringing the Injusticers and Leviathan to their city a mere two weeks ago. Two-thirds of the police force was still listed among the wounded, the Heretic had died, and Leviathan had collapsed.

The cult-like Leviathan's members were quickly snatched up by rival organizations. Basilisk, HIVE, and Kobra were among the largest to reap a harvest. But those were facts known only to the highest echelons of Spyral, ARGUS, and the Order of St. Dumas. The Blackhawks were still blissfully ignorant of the shifts in global power projection. They wouldn't be for much longer.

Blackhawk peered around yet another street corner and quickly pulled back under cover, "Our path is blocked by the Psycho Pirate. I don't really have to warn you that the one thing you can never do is look at his face. If you do, he will own you."

"Can't we just call your wife in and have her hand him his ass?" the Ukrainian called Irishman asked.

"Tea is a little busy right now with some world class threat of her own," Blackhawk disappointed him, "That's why Spyral was in town in the first place."

"So how do you want to play this?" Lady Blackhawk refocused the group. Blackhawk considered her the ultimate wingman.

"He looks content to just sit in the middle of the street. And this boulevard lies directly between GCPD headquarters and the rest of the Legion of Doom," Blackhawk pointed out, "So my guess is he's the roadblock. Our job is to fight him on all sides so he is constantly under threat while only being able to respond to one threat from any one direction at a time."

"And how do you want to do that?" Attila was curious.

"Nikki, you take Wildman and go up the adjoining block and then come in behind him. Attila, you're on these rooftops. Irishman, you're on the opposing rooftops," Black hawk instructed.

"And if he pursues me?" Irishman asked.

"He won't," Blackhawk assured him, "Tea has told me stories about this guy. He's lazy and overconfident because his mystical Medusa Mask gives him control over other people's emotions. But that only works if you watch him contort his facial expressions. He likes screwing with people without getting physically involved."

The Blackhawks broke up and Blackhawk and Lady Blackhawk watched with satisfaction as Psycho Pirate ignored the seemingly fleeing Irishman. LBH changed the subject, "So I take it we're going straight up the center."

"Problem?" Blackhawk was surprised by her question.

"Not really. I just wanted to be sure," LBH clarified.

"Now you are," Blackhawk went back to discreetly spying on Psycho Pirate.

"Does Tea really have an idea about what we do these days?" Lady Blackhawk suddenly asked as Blackhawk pulled his head back.

"Where's this coming from?" Blackhawk was growing concerned.

"Just answer the question," Lady Blackhawk requested.

"She knows the mission statement but not the particulars of the missions themselves," Blackhawk explained, "But she lives under the same restrictions because ARGUS has stipulated that no information beyond the official press releases will ever be leaked around the activities of the Justice League of America. Why are you asking me this?"

"Anatoly knows the missions statement but he's getting very curious as to what we actually do on a daily basis," LBH sighed, "Red Trinity never deployed before they came stateside. And they weren't selected from the Russian Army or FSB. They had no practical training or indoctrination. That was supposed to all happen after they returned to Russia. Instead they stayed here and started their business."

"Kapitalist Kouriers," Blackhawk knew the name.

"They have an incredibly high security clearance but Anatoly, Bobeck, and Cassiopeia aren't cleared to view what they carry across the globe. And the United Nations hasn't cleared me to discuss our work with them," Lady Blackhawk complained, "When we're together, he describes his day of running all over the planet and I'm thinking about how we did something like destroy a dirty bomb factory in Tehran that afternoon but I can't say a damn word."

"Tea and I have discovered there's a lot of life outside of work to discuss," Blackhawk shared, "You and Anatoly have to decide what's best for you and whether or not you're willing to make compromises and sacrifices to make the relationship work."

"Anatoly is the sweetest guy I've ever been involved with and it's the best relationship I've ever been in but I want some goddamned bragging rights too," Lady Blackhawk fumed.

"Love isn't a competition. It's teamwork," Blackhawk stared at her before peering around the corner again.

"When did you get so smart?" Lady Blackhawk inquired, realizing the validity of his words.

"When I started dating, and then married, a woman that has killed a Superman on another Earth," Blackhawk said grimly, "Try to compete with that."

"Oh. My. God," Lady Blackhawk breathed, "That's what happened on Earth-2?"

"She's afraid to tell anyone but Waller and Col. Steve Trevor of ARGUS. She's afraid of everyone else labeling her as reverting to super villain type," Blackhawk shared, "But what she did broke the back of Darkseid's occupation of Earth-2."

"Helluva choice," Lady Blackhawk agreed, "Respect the sanctity of life or overthrow the vilest dictatorship imaginable."

"This is hardly the first time Tea has killed in the line of duty," Blackhawk reminded LBH, "And you have to keep in mind her entire sense of justice and code of conduct was shaped by CADMUS and then remolded into a new shape by Black Adam. He's hardly the poster child for Superman and Batman's oaths to preserve all life. And the two of them are now working together at the sharp end of the stick with the JLA."

"Why do I suddenly have a cold chill running down my spine?" Lady Blackhawk inquired.

"Because ARGUS in general, and Waller in particular, feel they have Power Girl and Black Adam under control. But Tea and Adam won't bow before any authority. If they cooperate with a legal entity it's because their paradigm is aligned with that entity's. Should the organization shift or change its mind, they will proceed on their own initiative."

"I'd wondered why Director Bones at the DEO had always kept Galatea and Black Adam in the threat files," Lady Blackhawk fully realized.

"Now you know why," Blackhawk shared, "ARGUS' profilers are just as competent and insightful but the leadership refuses to accept the truth at face value."

* * *

The other groups began signaling their readiness through the Blackhawk issued earpieces. Blackhawk began the engagement, "On a three count. Three…two…one!"

He and Lady Blackhawk came around the corner and began shooting at Psycho Pirate. The Pirate faced them and they turned away. Nikki Nemzer and Randall Wildman engaged from behind him. Blackhawk and Lady Blackhawk swung back into the action as Psycho Pirate whirled to face Nikki and Wildman.

Blackhawk and Lady Blackhawk sighted in Psycho Pirate but they held their fire until Nikki and Wildman sought cover. Attila put a bullet through Psycho Pirate's shoulder. He ducked below the roof ledge as Irishman took a shot while the Psycho Pirate was distracted. His round went through the wounded arm's bicep. Blackhawk and Lady Blackhawk shot his legs out from underneath him.

Attila bounced a bullet of the Medusa Mask. It couldn't penetrate the magical construct but Psycho Pirate's head felt split in half, "I give already! Jesus! Stop shooting, for Christ's sake!"

"Take off the mask," Blackhawk shouted at him.

"What mask?" Psycho Pirate yelled back.

Irishman bounced a second bullet off the Medusa Mask. Psycho Pirate knew he probably had a concussion now judging by the whiteout and stars in his vision. He peeled off the mask and flung it out of reach.

"LBH, get on the horn with the GCPD and get this man some medical attention as well as have the locals take him into custody," Blackhawk instructed, "Nikki, Wildman, meet me at the prisoner's location. Attila and Irishman, continue high coverage."

As Blackhawk approached Psycho Pirate he spotted the three dead Spyral agents that had been sent after him. He suddenly wished he didn't have qualms about executing helpless prisoners. Life would be so much easier if he didn't.

* * *

Bette Kane, Agent 41, violently swore as she witnessed Major Force retaining enough power to hurl quantum blasts at Matron. Helena Wayne wasn't even remotely close to being a friend but she was relying on Bette to save her. Her heart still burned at how she'd abandoned the Teen Titans during the Atlantean assault on NYC.

Bette discarded the rocket launcher she'd dragged out of the Blackhawk flown helicopter to this location. Opening the elongated case she'd drug along with the launcher, she pulled out the massive Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifle. Attached to the case was a bag filled with ten, ten round clips.

The ammunition was specifically designed to penetrate the containment suits of beings like Captain Atom and Major Force. Each bullet was composed of depleted uranium molded into an armor piercing point and Teflon coated to ease penetration of the hardest body armor. The bullets were also packed with the highest concentration of grains of gunpowder.

Bette grabbed the pack and hefted the rifle. Taking a seated position behind a bicycle stand with her legs spread, she laid the rifle across it as an ad hoc tripod. Locking a magazine into place, she pulled the bolt and chambered the first round. Adjusting the scope as she took aim and fired.

The first round cleanly penetrated the back of Major Force's "head" and ripped away his "face". He groped at his ruined containment suit as his essence began to leak. He totally ignored Matron at this point. He swung to face Bette and she fired a second round through his shoulder. Finding another gaping tear, the arm began to deflate.

Major Force raised the other arm and extended his palm to fire a quantum burst. Bette put a round through the hand. Energy poring through the holes in his containment suit, Major Force flew off as quickly as he could. His only hope lie in reaching the Hall of Doom before he dissipated. If he arrived in time, he could transfer his essence into a whole containment suit.

"I see you didn't get me killed after all," Matron sniffed as she approached Bette.

"I told you I wouldn't," Bette hadn't expected gratitude. Helena Wayne's sense of entitlement was legendary amongst Spyral agents. And this was the woman Katherine Webb-Kane was grooming to replace her one day.

"Yes well, get this damn gear stowed away. We have a rendezvous to keep," Matron instituted

"You could always help pack and carry something," Bette grated.

"Don't be ridiculous. That's why you're here," Matron said disdainfully, "Now hurry up."

* * *

Mr. Minos broke and ran. As he dodged through the network server center, Riddler fired off stray rounds. But Mr. Minos managed to disappear before Riddler could get a solid bead on him.

Riddler departed the telecom's nerve center and returned to the lobby. There, the sounds of gunfire penetrated and filled the entire floor. Riddler got close enough to see who Query and Echo were fighting. He sighed when he realized it was two bottle blondes. Query's damn libido was probably in overdrive. And they'd managed to cut off the exit route.

"Follow me, ladies," Riddler ordered, "Lay down cover fire as we retreat."

""I'm bringing those bitches in with us," Query demanded, "I'm going to…"

"Tell me later," Riddler insisted, "Echo, make certain she comes with us."

Echo rolled her eyes as Riddler moved off. Riddler consulted a floor layout and headed for an emergency exit. Query and Echo fought their way as they followed him. Nancy Morgan and Penny reached the shattered window panes beside the doors and came in on opposing sides that way.

"Cover me!" Morgan requested, "They're headed for the emergency exits. This is about to become a street chase."

Alarms resounded throughout the building, "Damn!" Morgan began to sprint.

"We got time!" Penny called as she chased down Morgan, "They're on foot!"

"So are we!" Morgan shouted back.

* * *

The pair of Spyral agents burst through the emergency exit into an alley between buildings. Riddler had a male hostage by the throat with his pistol pressed against the man's temple. Echo looked overconfident. Query looked…like she'd just wet her panties.

Morgan had seen that type of lust in people's eyes during her time with the Chicago crime families. But she'd been Eel O'Brien's girl so she'd been protected. When Eel vanished and became Plastic Man, Morgan had vanished as well. Penny had seen that predatory lust before too but in the eyes of Plastic Man's enemies, never directed at her. Disco Mummy came the closest to an equal opportunity sexual predator.

"You're not going anywhere," Morgan promised, "You drop the hostage and you'll be dead next to him."

"Engaging sentiments but what if I chose to kill you instead? Your life for his? And then I could turn your fair companion over to my salivating associate," Riddler mused.

"Go to hell," Morgan steadied her aim.

"C'mere you blonde piece of tail. I hope you don't shave your…" Query began before Penny shot her leg.

Query stumbled and looked utterly horrified so Penny put a second round through her shoulder. Query dropped and began crawling towards the rifle she'd lost her grip on. Penny shot her hand. Query rolled over and really began using colorful imagery.

Penny aimed at her forehead, "Ah really would shut up if Ah were you."

As soon as Penny, fired Morgan shot Echo's shoulder before putting a round into her leg. Echo drew a knife to throw at Morgan so Morgan didn't bother to waste time and shot her in the side. Echo collapsed and Morgan joined Penny in kicking away discarded weaponry.

Riddler knew the only reason he himself hadn't been shot yet was his human shield, "You'll suffer for that."

Query began mouthing off again and Penny stomped on her hand. As the woman screamed, Penny gave him a dry look, "Ya'll were sayin'?"

The "hostage" triggered a thumb release hidden under fake skin on his hand and a syringe dropped out of a wrist sheath. Jabbing the ampoule into Riddler's leg, it released its contents with a satisfying hiss. Riddler staggered back and his gun began to waver in his grip.

"Wha…what have you done to me?" Riddler simply passed out at that point.

Mr. Minos' mask shifted to its blank state, "Thank you, Agent O'Brien, for recognizing my hand signal. Most rookie agents wouldn't have done so."

"`Scuse me, but Ah was with the Agency for five years before it became the ISA. Then Ah was with the Justice League for three years before movin' on to ya'll's little corner of the woods," Penny reminded him.

"Of course," Mr. Minos demurred.

Mr. Minos wandered off and Penny huffed, "He just doesn't get it."

"Mr. Minos is infamous for being the only agent as self-absorbed as Matron," Morgan warned her.

"Ah've known the type," Penny admitted.

"After the mop up, we need to go out and celebrate our burying hatchets and our budding friendship. You can play my wingman," Morgan offered, "First rounds on me."

"Sounds good," Penny agreed.

"Go bond somewhere else, you fluffed up piece of ass… _argh!_ " Query screamed again as Penny stomped on her wound a second time.

"We're so gonna get along," Morgan predicted.

* * *

"Hold still, ya squirt!" Killer Croc demanded as he tried _again_ to grab Talon. Last time, Talon had ducked and thrown a punch into Croc's solar plexus. This time he vaulted over his head.

"Hold still, so's I can kill ya!" Killer Croc bellowed.

"All right," Talon agreed.

He threw a knife into Killer Croc's throat and Croc gagged a few times before Talon began advising him, "You don't want to try and speak or you'll permanently damage your vocal chords. Most importantly, you don't want to pull that blade out, like you're about to attempt, because you'll bleed out in seconds. But if you do precisely as I say, you'll live."

Killer Croc was going to nod but thought better of it so he gave thumbs up gesture. Talon approved, "Head up Gleeson St. and turn right at Cutter Blvd. It's a six block straight line to Gotham Memorial. I'll have your escort waiting for you when you get out of surgery."

Croc knew he was going back to jail but that was only if he lived long enough to do so. That's when he noticed Talon had pulled a Batman and vanished. And he still had no clue who the Bird Man was.

* * *

Bronze Tiger's fight with Spyder was a blur in motion. But Spyder's advanced years, even though combated with revolutionary science, were beginning to take their toll. His reflexes were no longer quick enough. His blows were no longer powerful enough. And his blocks weren't sharp enough.

Spyder began to give ground until he was backed against the edge of the building. Bronze Tiger saw the man's hesitation and knew the moment was right. He lunged both claw blades into Spyder's chest. Spyder began to cough up blood from his impaled lungs and punctured heart.

"You haven't won," Spyder promised him.

Bronze Tiger kicked Spyder free from his claw blades and the body plummeted to the street below, "I have for now."

* * *

"Have you decided yet?" Major Disaster was still staring down Dick Grayson's fist.

Dick lowered his fist and let go of Disaster, "Plas, let him loose."

Plastic Man reverted from being a cage to being his normal self. Big Sir bounded to Major Disaster, "Look, Major Man! I's free!"

"You would seriously lock him up?" Major Disaster was incredulous, "He hasn't got a mean bone in his body."

"But he keeps bad company," Dick retorted, "You're sure you can reverse what you've done?"

"What's the point of creating a disaster that can't be quelled after the ransom has been paid?" Major Disaster asked.

"Most of your buddies in the Legion wouldn't care. They'd take the cash and run," Dick replied.

"Probably why I'm not friends with most of them," Major Disaster revealed.

The magma receded and what was left was already cooling. A slight tremor recorded the magma's descent below the regional tectonic plates. Major Disaster gave Dick a smug look.

"I don't go back on my word," he told Dick.

"Neither do I," Dick relented, "You two are free to go."

"Pack it up, Big Sir. We're headed somewhere tropical," Major Disaster informed his companion.

Dick saw Major Disaster pull a boom tube controller out of his pocket, "I thought the Legion restricted access to those."

"They do. So I swiped one, so sue me," Major Disaster grinned, "Maybe next time we'll actually be on the same side."

They vanished with a loud _boom_. Plas looked at Dick, "Stranger things than that have happened."

"Don't remind me," Dick begged, "C'mon, I think these two were protecting something further down this way."

* * *

Bronze Tiger approached Tala, "There are more of these uniformed types approaching from the east. What do you say to ditching this town?"

"I already have a teleportation spell prepared," Tala assured him, "But I have no destination in mind. Perhaps you have a suggestion?"

"Nanda Parbat," Bronze Tiger said readily, "I can report in to Talia and you can consult the League of Shadows' mystic scrolls."

"What about Nyssa al Ghul?" Tala asked.

"What about her?" Bronze Tiger was diffident, "She played the part of lone operator so well, Talia has cut her off from League support. She and her Injusticer squads are on their own for real now."

"Do you know where she is?" Tala wondered.

"I don't know and I especially don't care," Bronze Tiger admitted.

"Good," Tala replied, "Prepare yourself. This could get a little rough."

* * *

Cosmic King was enjoying watching Batman fight his inevitable death. But Saturn Queen spoke directly into his mind, _Laevar; it's time to move on. Our temporary headquarters has been handed to us. I have secured it with our Justice League teams._

"I'm glad to hear you still consider them 'ours', Eve," Cosmic King snorted.

 _Is there a problem?_ Saturn Queen sharply inquired.

"You and Mekt are acting like this is your private operation. I helped conceive of this plan and also paid the price to enact it. You've sidelined me to this when I could have helped you score a true victory," Cosmic King complained.

 _You are securing a true victory. In all of those potential futures and alternate timelines we observed, every one of them where resistance was led, it was eventually led by Batman. You are sparing our world order a decade of hunting and fighting to achieve the death of one man and his followers. Or have you forgotten?_ Saturn Queen asked.

"I haven't forgotten anything. Including who I really am. I will do anything to shuck the shell those bastards put on me," Cosmic King snarled.

 _Is that what's really bothering you?_ Saturn Queen wondered.

"I had a wife and child. Something I never had in our time. Something I'd never considered having in any time," Cosmic King confessed, "Then I started having flashbacks and eventually I remembered everything. My wife couldn't believe it as I transmuted the water in her body to hydrochloric acid. My son was easier. I transmuted the nitrogen into hydrogen and ignited it. When I found Mekt, he was as much a bachelor playboy as ever. It didn't take long to recover his memories as well."

 _So now you're desperate to bury that fake life and prove to yourself it was only a bad dream,_ Saturn Queen realized, _The mere fact you're wearing that uniform and taking part in this campaign is proof enough. You should let go of your doubts._

"Have you?" Cosmic King asked sharply.

" _I have the Injusticers' location. Do you want it or not?"_ Saturn Queen was getting irritable now

"Give it to me," he said tersely and flew off.

* * *

"Omigod!" Dick came sliding next to Batman on his knees.

"Poison," Batman said weakly.

"Plas! Get us a car!" Dick ordered.

"Will this do?" Plastic Man simply became a car. He opened his own door, "Get him inside."

Dick loaded Batman, "Drive! I'll give you directions."

"So which hospital are we going to?" Plas wondered.

"We aren't," Dick said grimly, "We're going to the Bat Cave."

"Oo-boy!" Plas breathed.

* * *

Katherine Webb-Kane addressed the United Nations Security Council, "We've successfully secured Gotham City from the Legion of Doom. However, despite securing certain targets, we have lost seven agents. One of which was the legendary Spyder himself. My agency and my office will sorely miss his contributions."

"He was an abomination created by Nazi science," the French ambassador proclaimed, "As was the arch-Nazi himself. I do believe you recall these facts about your own father."

"I haven't forgotten a thing. You should keep in mind, my father was estranged from my mother and myself from the time I was a young age. We received financial support and little else," Katherine rebutted him.

"But you follow him in the directorship of Spyral," the French official ranted.

"An unfortunate coincidence," Katherine dismissed him, "Our prisoners are the Psycho Pirate, Killer Croc, the Riddler, and his henchwomen known as Query and Echo."

"All of whom appear to be low priority targets precisely because they are of no useful value," General Wade Eiling was sitting in on behalf of the United States government, "Tell us, have you located Agent 37 and Plastic Man yet? Or what about Major Disaster and Big Sir?"

"Not at this time, General," Katherine replied coolly.

"ARGUS is assuming jurisdiction, Director. I suggest you get your people and the Blackhawks off the ground when they arrive. They'll find your missing men," Eiling told her.

* * *

Afterwards, Katherine stormed into her offices in Hartford; still seething over having Eiling cut her knees out from underneath her before the entire Security Council and the Secretary-General who had chosen to sit in on the session. She would make him pay for that disgrace.

* * *

The long dark of what passed for night within the Subtle Realms seemed to last forever. Some spent the night fretting about the demon cries surrounding the barrier that protected the All Stars. More and more creatures gathered in an attempt to penetrate the shield and kill the occupants in their sleep.

Stargirl had difficulty sleeping. The noises kept her awake but so did her potential role in the rescue of Mary Marvel. Courtney Whitmore knew little about life outside of a super team and a costumed identity. But she excelled in those roles. But nonetheless, she felt vastly underqualified to help her friend if she'd succumbed to the darkness that had plagued her soul since joining the Justice League.

Mary had been the most innocent of the JLers and yet she'd carried within her the greatest capacity for evil. But it was an inner war Mary had waged for three years now and it always seemed as though she were winning that battle. But now it seemed, the very gifts that empowered her endangered that sense of inner balance.

Mostly, Courtney was just miserable that Captain Marvel was standing vigil throughout the night. She'd have preferred he revert back to being Billy Batson so they could hold each other until what passed for dawn broke. Stargirl had utter faith and trust in Billy, and since Billy was the soul of Captain Marvel, she extended that trust to him as well.

* * *

Anna Fortune and Atom Smasher zipped a pair of sleeping bags together. Al Rothstein wondered how anyone could mistake what they were doing for physical intimacy. Anna had stripped out of her extraneous gear but she was still fully clothed as was Al. Anna wanted to remain chaste until marriage. Atom Smasher respected her decision and admired her resolve. And a part of him regretted not doing the same for her.

* * *

Hourman and Jesse Quick also joined their sleeping bags. Rick Tyler and Jesse Chambers did enjoy marginal public displays of affection but their choice was to simply hold tight and draw strength from one another. The Subtle Realms were beginning to challenge many of their assumptions and they hunkered together to solidify their beliefs.

* * *

Commander Steel and Judomaster didn't join bags but they did sleep beside one another. Hank Heywood III and Sonia Sato had only known lives of hardship and discipline. Their explorations into romance were tentative and shy. But it was a journey they intended to take together. As Commander Steel held the untouchable Judomaster's hand, he hadn't quite grasped what an honor had been bestowed upon him by that simple act.

* * *

Others in the group slept alone. Sentinel lay awake thinking of his children. Jennie-Lynn Hayden and Todd Rice had been adults before Alan Scott met them. Jennie lived in Los Angeles as a costumer. For a time, she'd pretended she'd lost her power pulse abilities that she derived from the Green Flame. But she was back to being Jade once again.

Jennie's green skin prevented her from having a secret identity. So she was quickly learning the price of the accolades and jeers of her public persona. The LAPD had embraced Jade's public presence and gave her an official police band radio they used to summon help when things escalated beyond their control.

Jade had turned down the invitation to join the JSA All Stars. She was focused on low level threats but served as a reservist in the All Stars should she be needed. Sentinel was determined to keep her free from unwanted involvement as possible.

Todd Rice had served in the Justice League as Obsidian. But Todd, a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, had floundered and fallen victim to the sights and sounds resident in his own head as well as voices and influences from the Shadow Realms where he drew his powers from. Obsidian had threatened Detroit and the Justice Society of America had exiled Obsidian to the Shadow Realms. More specifically, Sentinel and Jade had exiled Todd.

Jade had informed Sentinel that Obsidian had broken free. She knew because of the psychic link she had with her brother. Jade had been inclined to seek him out but both Sentinel and Obsidian urged her to leave well enough alone. Todd kept her abreast of how he was doing even if he neglected the what or the where of it. Sentinel longed to embrace his son again but he knew he had to wait for Obsidian to be ready for that gesture.

* * *

Flash dreamt of Joan Garrick. Jay Garrick had sacrificed his secret identity to publically save Joan so she'd fully come to terms and accepted the fact he was the original Flash before they married. And she thrilled at that reality.

Joan had never seen herself as a target despite being one on occasion. She had utter confidence in Jay's ability to save her life just as she had complete confidence in those who bore the Flash legacy. Barry Allen had been like a son to her and Wally West still was. Bart Allen was erratic, excitable, and easily distracted and was her ideal choice for a Kid Flash. Even Jesse Quick and Max Mercury were welcomed into her heart as extended family members.

It was Joan that had kept Jay in the game all these years. It was her suggestion that Jay, Alan, and Ted Grant should train up a new generation of heroes that had resulted in the recreation of the JSA, then they'd merged with the Justice League Unlimited, before splintering off to create the JSA All Stars. And certainly that mission was a noble one but Flash really did it for Joan.

* * *

Aztek had let his armor disassemble before he lay down. It would reassemble when Curt Falconer wished it to. As Aztek fell asleep, he thought of Vixen.

He hoped that Vigilante would be the one to capture Mari McCabe's wandering heart. Vixen had dumped Vigilante for Aztek. Then she'd left him for Batwing. But neither the archeologist Curt Falconer nor the police detective David Zavimbe could travel in a supermodel's rarified circles. But country crooning superstar Greg Saunders easily did just that and it contributed to her returning to him. In the end, it always came down to the fact Curt just wanted Mari to be happy.

* * *

Mr. Terrific wrestled in his sleep, both literally and metaphorically. As usual, Michael Holt revisited the murder of his wife and son. That's what had driven a classic overachiever into becoming Mr. Terrific. And that impetus kept driving him on.

* * *

Still others stood vigil throughout the darkness. Sand reflected on his decades of life. As a boy, Sandy Hawkins enlisted with the Sandman to become Sandy the Golden Boy. Sandy had accidently created Johnny Sorrow.

But one of Wesley Dodds experiments into sand potions transformed Sandy into living sand. Kept sealed in an airtight vat, it took Sandy the next decade to be able to indicate he was still alive and sentient, as Wesley had predicted. A television was brought into the room for Sandy to watch and that became his only link to the outside world while scientists in Wesley's employ attempted to reverse, or at least modify, Sandy's condition.

Sandy lingered that way for seventy years before he was able to transform into a silicate based facsimile of flesh. So Sandy emerged from the vat just months before Wesley's death. Inheriting the Dodds' estate and vast fortune, Sandy transformed Wesley's brownstone into a Justice Society of America museum.

Sandy also discovered he had control over dirt, sand, rocks, and turf. And he could transform into living sand and travel through those materials. Calling himself Sand, he joined the JLU. Sentinel, Flash, and Wildcat approached Sandy about membership in a revitalized JSA after Sand had left the JLU thus making his lifelong dream come true.

Sand hadn't been forthcoming with Sentinel and Flash though. Originally Sand hadn't required sleep. But since the Sandman's specter had visited him and granted him the power of prophetic dreams, Sand now required sleep. He was just too horrified to fall asleep willingly.

* * *

Captain Marvel hated keep Billy Batson away from Courtney. As Stargirl, Courtney showed exceptional bravery but even she had limits. The Marvel Family derived supernatural courage from the Greco-Roman gods so Captain Marvel wasn't afraid. But when he reverted to Billy, he was a mere mortal again and could find his strength while helping bolster Stargirl's.

Billy and Courtney were much stronger as a couple than apart. Even Shazam had observed this and encouraged Billy to pursue a lifelong match with Courtney. Shazam had confided in Billy regarding relationship mistakes he had made with his own wife and then his children. Billy had been stunned since he'd never imagined Shazam having a spouse or children. But Shazam alluded to the fact things had not gone well with his family.

Billy supposed that was why Shazam had created the Marvel Family as an act of penance. But the wizard wasn't admitting anything beyond what he already had. All Billy knew was even Captain Marvel, as the World's Mightiest Mortal, was completed by Stargirl being in his life. And he could only wish he did the same for Courtney.

* * *

Captain Marvel Jr. reflected on Mary's plight. They'd had a window of opportunity for a brief romantic venture but they discovered they thought of each other as siblings. So the disturbing comparisons of their dating ensued.

Freddy Freeman hadn't felt this close to anyone since his brother, Christopher, had died. Shazam purposefully neglected to inform Freddy that Christopher now served the Lords of Order as Kid Eternity. Or that Kid Eternity was a founding member of the Justice League Dark.

Junior would have been dismayed to learn of Shazam's duplicity. So the wizard compounded the problem by continuing to hide the truth. Therefore Shazam had not learned a single lesson from dealing with his own children.

* * *

Metamorpho had joined the watchers because he simply didn't want to sleep. If he did, he'd dream of Sapphire Stagg. Rex Mason had married Sapphire over Simon Stagg's objections. And then he'd cut off Metamorpho's disability fund and Sapphire's trust fund. So Metamorpho had joined the JLU in order to earn the weekly stipend they paid.

When the JLU fragmented, Metamorpho was approached by several teams resulting from that split up. His choice in the end was entirely mercenary. The All Stars, funded by Sand, paid the best so Metamorpho joined them.

The JLA paid well, just not well enough. The Justice League International hadn't asked him to consider joining. And neither had the Justice Leagues Dark or Unlimited. But neither of them reimbursed their members so he would've turned them down anyway.

Despite his decidedly non-altruistic reason for joining, Metamorpho put one hundred percent of his being into every mission. And he'd never regretted it…until now.

* * *

Light came suddenly and completely pierced the veil of darkness. It also revealed the swarms of demons crowding about the barrier shield for as far as the eye could see. The All Stars calmly ate breakfast form the stores Anna had provided and then packed. An hour and a half after rising, Anna returned the items back to their various tesseracts and collected her talismans and returned them to their appropriate pockets.

Anna included Sentinel and Stargirl in the next task. She loaded a spell casing into her arm cannon and had the other two employ their power ring and Cosmic Rods at the roof of their "dome" as she fired the casing at where the beams intersected. The surging wave of raw power decimated the demon ranks far over the horizon. Then she and Sentinel deconstructed the shield barrier.

Afterwards, Anna became faint and Atom Smasher had to catch her as he began to swoon. The All Stars all began murmuring amongst themselves. Flash and Mr. Terrific took a moment to explain to the group what price Anna paid for her use of magic in the Subtle Realms.

Everyone looked persuaded to grant Anna some concessions in their expectations and be a little more grateful for what she'd already accomplished. Everyone except Jesse and Hourman. Anna's traditional foes.

Sand took them aside and explained to them he'd had his doubts as well, as they knew. But Sentinel, Flash, and Mr. Terrific had set him straight with their own testimony and Anna's own inadvertent confessions. The couple still reserved judgment but he could see the growing doubts regarding their position in their eyes. He let it go at that. Time would do the rest.

* * *

Sentinel created a platform with seats and handrails. Flash and Jesse wouldn't be pushing ahead on this "day". Anna slid her goggles into place.

"Mary has been on the move. She's further away now. We'll have to push hard if we expect to catch her before the darkness falls again," Anna advised Sentinel and the Marvels.

"Then we push," Stargirl said with newfound resolve.

Captain Marvel just beamed at her proudly. Anna knew how much that had cost Courtney so she made a mental note of how to reward Stargirl when they returned to Earth Prime. If they returned.

* * *

A dozen green army men began to form a crescent moon around the Teen Titans. But they didn't so far as to endanger each other with friendly fire. But they had clean lines of intersecting fire in their designated kill zone. Red Robin grudgingly had to give them full marks for that. It was almost as if they were truly alive.

"Bunker, your target is that monkey. We can't afford to let it clang those damn cymbals again," Red Robin told him in a low voice.

"I'm on it," Bunker promised.

"Very well. Skitter, you take Toyman himself. I'm about to distract everyone and give you your opportunity," Red Robin instructed.

Skitter rubbed her rear insect legs like a cricket to acknowledge his orders. Bunker suddenly asked, "And the green army men?"

"I've got those," Red Robin assured him.

"There's a dozen of them," Bunker pointed out.

"It won't be a problem. You just worry about that monkey," Red Robin insisted. He threw smoke pellets on the ground and the area was blanketed in a fog, "Go! Now!"

Bunker surged ahead and created gauntlet constructs to use to shove through the line of army men. Then he created a ram constructed as he charged up the grassy knoll where the monkey sat. Smashing into one of its wheels, it snapped off and the monkey toppled over.

"No! Not my…ahhh!" Toyman broke into a scream as Skitter stung him. Then she wrapped him in a cocoon.

"Not bad," Bunker praised her.

They watched as the smoke blew away. Half the army men were broken on the ground. They were now taking shots at Red Robin and he was only armed with a quarterstaff. But he was effectively taking apart his opponents…literally.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Bunker wondered aloud.

Skitter managed an approximation of a shrug. She didn't care. Bunker rolled his eyes.

"I know you like him but we have no idea where he came from. People don't just come off the street with a skill set like that," Bunker reminded her, "And Gar and Bart ran searches and there's no trace of a 'Red Robin' anywhere."

Skitter gave him an especially droll look. Bunker decided to do more reminding, "Remember when Terra infiltrated the Titans. This guy could be secretly working for Deathstroke and we've effectively made him our team leader."

Skitter smacked him upside the head. Bunker rubbed his offended cranium, "What was that for?"

"Have you decided on whether I'm a traitor or not?" Red Robin asked as he climbed the knoll. The green army men lay strewn about in pieces.

"There is no way you could have heard that?" Bunker was suspicious.

"You're right. I was reading your lips," Red Robin shared.

"During a fight?" Bunker exclaimed.

"Do you know a better time?" Red Robin asked.

Bunker didn't but he wasn't about to admit it. Especially with Skitter laughing at him now. Red Robin activated his augmented smart phone and called the police to come and collect Toyman and his playthings.

"Just keep an eye on him, okay?" Bunker whispered to Skitter.

Skitter was happy to comply. She thought Red Robin was attractive eye candy.

* * *

Half-Ape hit a small cylindrical "panic" button and his henchman all shoved the complaining vendors aside and yanked their weapons free. The vendors scattered and Red Hood began opening fire. Fairchild was going to protest before she realized Red Hood was going for flesh wounds.

She turned to see how Solstice was doing and she saw Half-Ape had a gun to her head. And more goons were coming from that direction. Fairchild jumped into the fray employing her Amazon-level strength to catastrophic effect.

Half-Ape aimed his paralytic gun at Fairchild and Solstice knocked him flat with a photon burst. Picking up his gun, she shot Half-Ape with it and he went completely rigid. Fairchild joined her.

"Care to repeat that little trick?" Caitlin asked Solstice.

"Happy to," Solstice agreed.

Fairchild used her phone to dial Red Hood's helmet. He was terse, _"What is it?"_

"Duck," was all Fairchild told him.

He did so and Solstice unleashed a photon weave that knocked out all the remaining Legion henchmen. Red Hood stood and turned to face Solstice, "You?"

"Yes," she proudly confirmed it.

"Damn," Red Hood remarked, "Okay, you can stay with the Titans."

"I was already a member," Solstice reminded him.

"But standards have gone up while you were gone," Red Hood boasted.

Fairchild and Solstice exchanged wry look. Red Hood pointed at Half-Ape, "Is he still alive?"

"Yes," Solstice was indignant that he'd imply otherwise.

"Not for long," Red Hood pulled a pistol free and took aim at Half-Ape's forehead.

"We need him to tell us where Kid Flash is," Solstice grated.

"We just need one of them to tell us," Red Hood countered.

"Why don't you ask one of the goons you shot what's in the vending machines," Fairchild suggested.

"Fine," Red Hood sulked.

"We won't be able to keep him at bay, and you alive, if you don't cooperate," Fairchild warned Half-Ape, "Will you show us where he is?"

Half-Ape managed to garble out an, "Uh-huh."

"Is he on this level?" Solstice asked.

"Nnnhhh," Half-Ape garbled again.

"What was that?" Solstice was confused.

"I think that was a 'no'," Fairchild opined.

"Was that a 'no'?" Solstice asked him.

"Uh-huh," Half-Ape thought this was idiocy. But at least it kept him alive. He'd never had to put up with this from Plastic Man. But those were the days.

Eventually they narrowed it down to the scoreboard. Fairchild hefted Hal-Ape and carried him with them to keep Red Hood from shooting him. When they reached the scoreboard, they found Kid Flash was starting to regain movement in his arms and legs. But his jaw was mercifully clamped shut.

"You're alive!" Solstice squealed and clenched Bart with a hug tighter than his jaw.

The inadvertent expression of feelings was so obvious even Kid Flash got it. His eyes went wide as hers met his and she simply smiled with pure joy in her heart. And Kid Flash suddenly realized his hopes had come true after all.

* * *

Red Hood tortured a man until he confessed that each vending machine was a five hundred pound bomb. Calling the Oakland police, Red Hood arranged for bomb squads and units to take the prisoners into custody. The police would also handle crowd control.

Red Hood was so happy with the results he even cooperated with the detectives questioning him and taking his statement. The vendors backed him up so he was out of there in forty-five minutes. The Titans made their way back to the parking lot while the crowd was just exiting the stadium, so the Titans' departure was unimpeded.

Kid Flash was back to normal but he was till silent as he and Solstice quietly held hands and just stole glances at one another. Red Hood couldn't take it, "What's wrong with him? Normally we can't get Yakkity Yak to shut up."

"He's had a personal revelation," Fairchild shared that much but no more.

"Fair enough," Red Hood allowed, "I had one of those once."

* * *

Naval officers came running out of the campus shouting at the Titans, "There are missiles in-bound!"

They pointed at the exact direction the cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles were vectoring in from. Superboy pushed ahead since he was the fastest. He caught the first cruise missile and used his tactile telekinesis to redirect and reprogram its targeting systems. Then he hopped from one missile to another until he'd dealt with all four.

Wonder Girl used her lasso to rope the lead anti-ship missile as it skimmed the waves and swung it into the following missile in line. The resultant detonation destroyed the last two. Cassie caught up with Miss Martian as Superboy joined them.

"I'm sensing active intelligences beneath the waves," M'gann reported.

"A submarine," Superboy labeled the threat.

"The dominant intelligence isn't human," M'gann continued, "It's animalistic, but intelligent and quite malevolent."

"The Clam," Wonder Girl realized.

"They are descending quite rapidly. They are well beneath three hundred feet," M'gann assessed, "And Mars didn't have free water so my people don't know how to swim."

"I might be able to hold my breath long enough to reach the sub but if I couldn't get inside I'd drown," Superboy admitted.

"And I'd have the same problem," Wonder Girl confessed, "Let's just stay here for awhile in case they try this again further offshore. But give what little I know about the Clam's personalized submarine, I doubt they have any missiles left."

"I'd like to see them try and torpedo a base," Superboy snickered.

Wonder Girl gave him a skeptical look. Superboy defended himself, "Oh, come on. That idea is funny."

"He has a point," M'gann smirked.

"Okay," Wonder Girl relented, "It's funny. Not really, really funny but it is appropriate."

"Thank you," Superboy said with relief.

"So, just how long will we wait here?" M'gann eyed the ocean nervously.

"Just a little while," Wonder Girl promised.

"No wonder you lived in the Mojave and then Arizona," Superboy realized.

"I rarely do things on a whim," M'gann said dryly.

* * *

It was morning in Monte Carlo. Which meant it was morning in Paris. The night before, Sue Dibney had informed Catwoman that the JLA was staying overnight at the Dome.

Sue was running Selina's operation but she had a compelling reason to report in to a certain Col. Steve Rogers while he was still in Paris. She wanted him to know in no uncertain terms that she had discovered Batwoman's part of the mission. Sue had admitted she'd only found out about it after everyone had flown out of JFK and that it had been Trevor's idea to begin with.

Trevor was unflinching in the face of Selina's scorn, "Rocki Ballantine is there to assist and back Spoiler up. Other than providing you and Kitrina with a much needed distraction, she won't interface with your part of the mission."

"Steve, you had her spying on me yesterday when I met with Cluemaster," Selina drolly pointed out.

"She was there to assess Cluemaster," Trevor insisted.

"Bullshit," Selina coughed, "It's all right. I forgive you. You were worried about me…about us. I take it as a compliment. But if your concerns start making headaches for me in the field, I will chop your balls off and feed them to you before I ever get to sample them. Do we have an understanding?"

Trevor, the hardened covert ops operative, blushed the brightest crimson Selina had ever seen on a human being that wasn't choking to death, "Your concerns are noted. You should now proceed with all due diligence on your own initiative."

Selina could laughter behind Trevor before he cut the connection. So he hadn't been alone. Selina thought the audience served him right.

* * *

Trevor turned to find smiles on every face. Nightshade was the first to comment, "Well, I can see who replaced me, Col. Trevor."

Enchantress and Black Orchid also stood in for the Justice League Dark. Starling and Black Canary joined him from his own Justice League of America. Godiva and Vapor represented the Justice League International, or what was left of it.

Vapor had gotten released from the hospital with the admonition she couldn't do anything beyond sit monitor duty. Killer Frost represented God knew what on Godiva's behalf. He had his own suspicions of what that "behalf" consisted of.

Gwen Cormaugh was here in the International Security Agency's behalf. And an Inspector Gerard Jobeau stood in for INTERPOL. Much to Trevor's chagrin, the All Stars had been summoned to Gotham City last night.

The request had come directly from Amanda Waller's offices. Why ARGUS suddenly needed the All Stars in Gotham when the JLA could use all hands hadn't been explained. With the JLI effectively down to three active people and the JLD largely sitting this campaign out, that left the JLA as the leading force in this campaign.

Goldilocks was the resident expert on their opponents. Only having arrived to secure the JLI's liberation from being mentally enslaved, and failing to do so, Goldilocks was becoming increasingly distant and randomly rambling nonsense. A complete reversal of who she'd been the day before. And she had a look in her eyes that Trevor had seen countless time. The girl was terrified.

Once again, Trevor cursed the All Stars' departure. Sir Justin was their best hope at soliciting a coherent response out of Goldilocks. With him gone, it fell on the rest of them to work a miracle.

Trevor asked Godiva to join him in the hallway outside the command center. Godiva was defensive, "Look, I know you're still angry about my pulling jurisdictional rank on you but even the ISA and INTERPOL agreed Killer Frost is my…our prisoner."

"I don't give a shit about Frost," Trevor advised her, "Your sister is losing her grip on what sanity she'd recovered and I need her to make a quick recovery. She has intelligence regarding our foes and she's the only one with a reasonable guess as to what they'll do next. So far the Legion has followed her playbook by the numbers. We need to know their next move. And right now, I'm not even certain she's on the same mental plane with us."

"I see," Godiva's eyes narrowed, "You don't give a flying flip about my sister's mental health as long as you complete your mission."

"Have you paid attention to the stakes here?" Trevor wondered, "Goldilocks said we had a very narrow window of opportunity to prevent a thousand year reign of tyranny that would consume the multiverse. And we just screwed up our big chance to sideline the Legion."

"You have no clue as to what made my sister a delusional psychopath, do you?" Godiva laughed bitterly, "Of course not. Because she won't talk about it. But the fact is, the only reason I was spared a similar fate is I was thirteen, five years older than my poor sister."

"I don't understand," Trevor admitted.

"I'm about to share the Leigh family history with you and if I ever hear word of you spreading it around, I will find you and strangle you in your sleep. Do we have an understanding?" Godiva asked.

"We do," Trevor didn't doubt her capacity to carry out her threat.

Godiva described the hellish years of sexual abuse from an uncle who was not only a pedophile predator but was a sexual sadist as well. Relief only came after he was caught in the act. But by then, Goldilocks had retreated into a fantasy realm of fairy tales to escape her wretched and cursed existence.

While Dorcas Leigh had attended private academies, Goldilocks was sent to a sanatorium. Which she was released from sat age sixteen, not because she was cured, but rather because the hospital staff could no longer control her without employing means the Leigh family wouldn't authorize the use of.

Goldilocks returned to the family manor to learn her sister had become the superhero known as Godiva. Goldilocks flew into violent rage and tore Dorcas' rooms apart until she discovered the Anglo-Saxon book of spells that granted Godiva her power. Recasting the spell, Goldilocks insured no one else could harness the magic by burning the book before she burned the entire palatial home down.

Goldilocks became a world class thief until she was approached by the Brain and he offered her a place within the Brotherhood of Evil. But through it all, Goldilocks maintained her fixation on finding a shining knight that would rescue her from her madness. And then one literally fell into her lap.

Goldilocks then left the Brotherhood in order to prove her worth to Sir Justin. His marriage to Tessa Richardson notwithstanding, she intended to prove her worthiness to him and persuade him to leave Tessa and woe her instead. A goal which drove even the future Goldilocks.

"You see, Colonel. My sister can be the weakest and the strongest of individuals I've ever met. The weaknesses are obvious. But her strengths are phenomenal. Despite all that our uncle did to her, she sold herself into sexual slavery in order to buy my freedom from Cosmic King and Lightning Lord. I was to serve Saturn Queen instead," Godiva shared what had been revealed to her in the night, "My uncle was unfit to even be called scum but Cosmic King and Lightning Lord knew no end of their perversions. There were no limits to the degradations they would inflict."

"How did she escape from them?" a subdued Trevor asked.

"They were engaged in a breath play exercise and she had finally coaxed them into letting her use her hair to strangle them. Once she began, she did so in earnest and they found her hair immune to their powers," Godiva shared, "But she incurred Saturn Queen's wrath and Eve Aries deployed an entire planetary population to find my sister. Only Dr. Fate's intervention saved her from being publically skinned alive."

"I…had no idea," Trevor admitted.

"And that's the way my sister prefers it," Godiva told him, "Just as she's sworn off the family name and even her given name. She truly is Goldilocks now."

"Which why you never refer to her by her actual name," Trevor realized.

Godiva wore a sad smile, "Goldilocks is her given name. At least now it is. Given her loathing of anything or anyone from the family I'm surprised she'll even talk to me much less sacrifice herself for my behalf."

"But that hasn't happened," Trevor pointed out.

"It did for her and that reality is unshakeable," Godiva countered.

"Look, they say you can't hate anyone as much as you can hate family," Trevor stated, "But the counterpoint is you can't love anyone as much as family. And you do both at the same time whether or not you want to. Whatever else happens between you, Goldilocks is your sister forever and always."

"Thank you for that, Colonel," Godiva conceded, "Now what do you intend to do?"

"I have to shake her up and I can't do that and play nicely," Trevor warned her.

"Other than Sir Justin, no one has reached my sister through her delusion except if she reached out first," Godiva warned him.

"Then I make her reach me," Trevor decided.

Trevor warned the command center's occupants that he was going to try and pull Goldilocks back to a semblance of sanity. Nightshade offered her own warning, "Be careful Steve, Goldilocks single handedly killed Mary Seward, the vampires' Queen of Blood. No one in five hundred years accomplished that until she stepped in."

Trevor suddenly had a very foreboding feeling about what he was about to try. He took hold of Goldilocks' shoulder and shook her. Then he shook her again. Finally he shook her so violently Godiva protested.

Seeing no other alternative, Trevor slapped her. And her responding right cross took him absolutely by surprise. Then he found her hair wrapped around his throat and constricting so that he couldn't breathe at all. It was no wonder Lightning Lord and Cosmic King had been taken by surprise.

"Goldilocks! Snap out of it and let him go!" Godiva pleaded.

Goldilocks blinked a few times, "Dorcas?"

"We have work to do, sister. And you're needed," Godiva informed her, "But if you would, please stop strangling Col. Trevor."

Goldilocks dropped and he knelt while he coughed, catching his breath. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "If you ever touch me again, I'll snake my hair through absolutely every orifice and rip you apart from the inside out. And even my sister won't save you."

Goldilocks stepped away and Killer Frost snickered, "Damn! You people are better than reality TV."

"I'm glad you approve," Trevor dripped sarcasm as she kept coughing and rose to his feet, "But we need to plan our next move and to do so we need to know what the enemy will do next."

Every eye turned to Goldilocks. She grimaced, "Oh bother."


	11. Chapter 11

24

OmniTech was a recent arrival in the Los Angeles cityscape. Most were unaware that OmniTech was a wholly owned subsidiary of LexCorp. Fewer still understood that Lex Luthor personally held all of the public shares in the company. Luthor remained hands free regarding OmniTech's operations with one caveat. He'd insisted they build an operations center in Los Angeles.

Rather than endure the cost overruns and delays surrounding original construction, OmniTech had purchased an existing skyscraper and renovated it to taste. As per Luthor's demands, OmniTech only occupied the lower half of the building. Those floors were filled with engineers and developers. Which many had found strange that the corporation would separate their design process from their manufacturing hubs outside of Silicon Valley and Seattle.

The upper half was divided into quarters. The lower quarter was apportioned into apartments. The uppermost quarters was an operations center tied into Brainiac and the Hall of Doom. The top floor itself was a luxury penthouse replete with a swimming pool. It was here that Saturn Queen and Lightning Lord took their repose.

The Justice Leagues currently shared the residential floors with the Legion of Doom, the Crime Syndicate, and now the Rogues. Brainiac observed them and felt compelled to report the developing situation to Eve Aries and Mekt Ranzz. But first, they had questions that needed answering.

"Has Luthor deduced the nature of our private arrangements with you and Grodd?" Lightning Lord asked.

"No, but he is aware that arrangements have been made. Luthor has always suspected Grodd of eventual treachery given the history of their relationship," Brainiac revealed, "However, I remain Luthor's blind spot. He trusts me implicitly."

"You only need to endure your servitude to him until our goals are reached," Saturn Queen promised, "The Legion of Superheroes has tamed Computo and made him their servant. The Legion of Super Villains offers you the chance to become our ally. We will give you access to the databases and libraries of the complete universe."

"Such has been my destiny since Jor-El constructed and programmed me as Krypton's central artificial intelligence," Brainiac boasted.

"How are all our teams doing? Playing well together?" Lightning Lord inquired.

"The Legion and the Crime Syndicate are angry that the secret identities of the Justice Leaguers are to be preserved," Brainiac reported, "They are discussing forcibly revealing them."

"Inform the conspirators that defiance against our edicts is defiance against us personally. And defiance warrants mind wipes," Saturn Queen instructed.

"It is done," Brainiac informed them both, "They are complaining but no longer going forward with their ambitions."

"What of those JLers wounded in combat?" Lightning Lord inquired.

"Booster Gold is responding to tissue regeneration and will make a full recovery within twenty-four hours," Brainiac stated, "However, the stroke Thunderlord suffered has caused irreparable damage. He will not make a recovery at any time. Should I terminate him?"

"Yes," Lightning Lord commanded.

Saturn Queen gave him a quizzical glance.

"We need to cut any dead weight, Eve," Lightning Lord insisted.

"Do it," Saturn Queen concurred with Lightning Lord.

"It is being done as we speak," Brainiac explained, "Devil Ray is maintaining a presence at the international boundary. He is dispatching a crew to retrieve the body and will dump it outside US territorial waters."

"Excellent," Lightning Lord was pleased, "That makes up for Sparrow Hawk's idiotic attempt to kill Booster Gold."

"And why is Booster Gold vital to your endeavor?" Brainiac hadn't been informed of Booster's significance yet.

"Booster Gold will be contacted by Rip Hunter, a member of the Time Corps, and together they will deduce the exact moment when Saturn Queen, Cosmic King, and I conceived this little plan and they will make certain that moment never occurs. So with Booster under our control, we can kill Rip Hunter and gain access to the Time Corps so we can then terminate the entire membership and secure the timeline we will have created," Lightning Lord explained.

Brainiac had never attempted to calculate the permutations of time travel. He set his processors to it, "Cosmic King has arrived."

He had indeed showed up and alighted next to the pool, having received telepathic instructions of where the new base was located from Saturn Queen the night before. He looked exhausted.

"Were you successful?" Lightning Lord demanded to know.

"They were gone and had been gone for several weeks. Even the locals still avoided the site," Cosmic King said wearily.

"Would you estimate that it had happened within the last two weeks?" Saturn Queen wondered.

"No, well before that," Cosmic King told her, "I staked out the locale for sixteen hours before departing. The Injusticers won't be returning there any time soon if ever."

"We may have to move our timetable ahead," Saturn Queen frowned.

"Why?" Cosmic King really didn't see a threat.

"Nyssa al Ghul and Deathstroke were Batman's lieutenants in those timelines where there were pockets of resistance against our regime," Saturn Queen reminded him, "Even with Batman dead or dying, those two individuals _must_ be killed."

"Try getting accurate information regarding where they are next time," Cosmic King grumped, "Where's my room?"

"Let me show you," Saturn Queen volunteered despite Brainiac's expecting to be assigned the task, "You look exhausted after your two-fold campaign. How long have you been awake?"

"Forty hours," Cosmic King admitted. When they were alone, he spoke quietly to her, "About our conversation yesterday…"

"Your secret is safe with me, Laevar," Saturn Queen promised him, "Mekt and I are still struggling with what happened to us as well."

"I thought you'd understand," Cosmic King gratefully admitted.

After she'd returned to rejoin Lightning Lord, he asked, "Does Laevar seem edgy to you?"

"No more than either you or I," Saturn Queen replied, "He has a right to be, Mekt."

"He was like this when he found me and helped me…remember," Lightning Lord sounded disturbed.

"Our minds were violated," Saturn Queen pointed out, "It was a crime akin to rape but on an even more fundamental level. We've all been traumatized by it. And the crime was ordered by the United Planets' government."

"Yet you do the same every day," Lightning Lord reminded her.

"Mekt, I'm considered to be a criminal. This was essentially the crime they convicted me of. And then they returned the favor," Saturn Queen argued, "The sanctimonious sons of bitches have to pay."

"They will," Lightning Lord promised, "We'll erase them from history itself."

"Pardon me, my Lord and Queen, but I have determined the whereabouts of both Nyssa al Ghul and Deathstroke," Brainiac announced.

"First, where is Deathstroke?" Saturn Queen inquired.

"He has arrived in Paris. He has accepted a contract with ARGUS to assist the Justice League of America," Brainiac answered.

"I knew he'd be trouble sooner than later," Saturn Queen growled.

"And where is Nyssa al Ghul?" Lightning Lord asked.

"Gotham City," Brainiac succinctly replied.

"She never left," Saturn Queen admired the Injusticer leader's audacity.

"So how do you want to respond?" Lightning Lord wondered.

"Simple, I'll take the Justice Leagues into Paris. It'll be a good field test of their loyalties," Saturn Queen explained, "You'll take the Crime Syndicate, the Rogues that have now joined us, and the Legion to Gotham and kill Nyssa and her Injusticers. You can make inroads with the Court of Owls while you're at it."

"The JSA All Stars are in Gotham on ARGUS' behalf," Brainiac reported.

"It just gets better," Saturn Queen decided.

* * *

Deathstroke and his Titans had reported to the Dome. Trevor was less than pleased by their arrival, "Wilson."

"Trevor," Slade Wilson replied, "You may as well drop the attitude. Waller hired me and she still holds your leash."

"She told me she hired you," Trevor admitted, "I told her you weren't necessary."

"And she is?" Deathstroke stared at Killer Frost.

"She's the JLI's problem," Trevor shared.

"I understand the JLI's primary issue is staffing," Deathstroke drolly replied.

"Tell me why you accepted the contract and I'll let you know whether or not you're staying," Trevor offered.

"I was paid in advance," Deathstroke told him, "So all we'll be sacrificing by leaving is the completion bonus."

" _Ahem_ , Steve doesn't speak for us all," Nightshade pointed out.

"Good to see you, Eve," Deathstroke nodded her way, "Someone has to have a sense of reality around here. Because the odds are not in your favor."

"As much as I hate admitting it, we need the help," Vapor opined.

Trevor looked to Black Canary, who knew Slade Wilson as well as he did. She nodded her approval. Trevor made up his mind.

"You're in," he told Deathstroke.

"Then get everyone in the briefing theater," Deathstroke commanded.

"If you don't mind, I'll keep monitoring," Vapor declared.

* * *

In the briefing theater, Ravager operated the Power Point file she'd loaded into the computer. Deathstroke removed his helmet. Trevor, Black Canary, Starling, Bat-Girl, and Nightshade were all stunned by his new, youthful appearance. Slade signaled Ravager.

"Start it up, Rose," he instructed.

An image of the Hall of Doom appeared on the screen and Deathstroke began the briefing, "This is the Legion of Doom's new headquarters. It's named the Hall of Doom to counterpoint the Hall of Justice which you all have taken possession of. It's currently located in the Florida Everglades. I say currently because the base is mobile."

Deathstroke signaled Ravager and the image changed to a large chamber, "This is the means of transportation. This is deep within the Hall of Doom. I was unable to access this chamber before being forced to withdraw. But it is occupied by a lone person. This occupant can manipulate chroniton fields and hold the Hall in stasis while the Earth rotates underneath thereby relocating the entire headquarters to a different locale within seconds to minutes."

Ravager shifted the image to a man strapped to a chair fed by IVs and utilizing a catheter. Deathstroke pointed him out, "This is the living technology that drew your three threats to the Legion."

"But you're not just presenting this for grins and giggles," Trevor realized.

"Someone else has developed technology revolving around chronal fields," Deathstroke informed the group, "That person could pose as a replacement to the living tech presented here. They could even produce a working time machine therefore sending the trio back to the future they create here in the present."

"What exactly are you suggesting?" Trevor wondered.

"We eliminate these two people and buy time to liberate or neutralize the captive Justice Leagues," Deathstroke elaborated.

"We'll take it under advisement," Trevor said curtly.

"It's our best option," Deathstroke retorted.

"Best isn't always the first," Trevor threw back at him.

" _Attention all personnel. A boom tube has opened outside our spatial disruption field. Members of our own Justice League as well as the Justice League Unlimited have exited the tube,"_ Vapor announced.

"Time to earn your paycheck, Slade," Trevor led the procession out of the briefing theater.

Deathstroke hung back and strapped his helmet back on, "You know what needs to be done, Rose."

* * *

As Trevor led one team of JLers into the field, Azrael intercepted him, "Colonel, it appears I have arrived just in time."

"Glad to have you back," Trevor admitted, "Have you concluded your business with the Order of St. Dumas?"

"The Order is aware of our predicament and is investigating potential solutions," Azrael informed him, "In the interim; I am free to act as your agent. They are also offering to send heralds to every super team across the globe to alert them to the danger."

"I appreciate the offer but I have to clear it with Director Waller," Trevor replied.

"I've taken the liberty of informing the director. She has already approved the measure," Azrael told him, "Which was an interesting distraction since the Order has already sent the heralds."

"Then why bother asking at all?" Trevor was irritated and it showed.

"Because Director Waller enjoys the illusion of choice even when there is none," Azrael observed.

Trevor had to admit it was a keen insight into Amanda Waller, "We'll call it a courtesy then."

Deathstroke approached, "I've deployed my people with the other two teams. What do you say to my joining yours?"

"These people are friends, Slade. Whether they remember it or not. Lethal force is authorized by me alone. And not before," Trevor demanded.

"And if you're incapacitated?" Deathstroke wondered.

"You'd best make certain I'm not," Trevor retorted.

"Deathstroke," Azrael offered his grudging respect.

"Azrael," Deathstroke allowed the same.

"I take it you've met," Trevor deadpanned.

"In the field," Deathstroke wouldn't elaborate and Azrael was keeping his silence as well.

"Colonel, I know about your sanction to issue death warrants and enforce the sentences," Deathstroke stated, "So don't act pious with me."

"Gentlemen, the fight is in front of us," Starling reminded them.

"So it is," Deathstroke conceded.

* * *

Trevor joined Starling and Bat-Girl in converging on the Atom. Atom employed size changing tricks to pummel Trevor and Starling. They found their firearms to be useless in the close quarters fight when all they could threaten was each other. But Atom ambushed them both frequently enough to knock them each out.

He suddenly received a kick in his lower spine and managed to roll with it. Atom gave Bat-Girl grudging notice, "Nice kick. You almost paralyzed me. Who are you anyway? Batgirl grown up?"

"I'm _a_ Bat-Girl. Just not _the_ Batgirl you're familiar with," she informed him.

"I hate semantics," Atom altered his size again.

Bat-Girl felt her foot lift and she spun off and swung around with a left cross, almost taking Atom's jaw off. Staggering away, he sneered, "You don't get it, do you? I'm a Justice Leaguer."

"So am I," Bat-Girl replied.

"In your dreams," Atom size changed again.

She felt her foot lift again so she back flipped off of Atom and delivered a right cross when he presented himself as a target. Then she landed a left jab into his gut and boxed his ears before driving a knee into his chin. He vanished from sight once again.

"That's certainly annoying," Bat-Girl muttered.

Atom appeared between where Trevor and Starling lay, "Pick who dies. Shall it be the fearless leader of the so-called Justice League of America or will it be the new girl with the tats? Your call but someone dies."

Bat-Girl leapt into a flying kick, but of course, Atom was already gone. She knelt next to Starling, "Don't be in her, you bastard!"

Unseen, Atom grew behind her. The he drove his knee into the back of her head. While she tried to recover, he beat her into the ground.

"Who's first to die?" he gleefully asked the downed JLers.

* * *

Superman came at Power Girl with the ever predictable roundhouse. She easily blocked it and responded with a right cross that rattled his teeth. But she didn't expect him to execute a perfect punch with that same hand. She rolled with the right cross and spun around into a backhanded punch of her own.

Next she delivered a round kick into his ribs. As Superman listed to one side, Power Girl unleashed a second right cross into his jaw. Which she followed with a left cross straight into his nose.

While his eyes watered, she gripped his head from behind the ears and bent him over and repeatedly drove her knees into his face. The resulting _crunch_ of the cartilage in his nose breaking was satisfying for her. Of course, under a yellow sun, it would heal in minutes.

Gripping his tunic, she unleashed three consecutive right crosses. Finding one eye swelling up, she didn't expect the flash of heat vision from the other. Angered that she'd been caught by the same trick from essentially two versions of the same person, Power Girl blindly threw him into the street below.

Superman held back while he healed up while Power Girl swooped in, pointed her toes, and kicked his ball sack as hard as she possibly could. The blow would have shattered a dwarf planet and Superman went down in mindless agony. Saturn Queen decided to intervene.

"Tessa?" Power Girl still couldn't quite grasp the new "old" reality.

"Hardly," Saturn Queen snorted, "But why don't you pay homage to your Queen?"

Power Girl found herself wanting to even though she resisted. Saturn Queen scowled, "If you won't serve, you'll suffer."

Power Girl's mind felt like it was being torn apart. Then every nerve felt like it was on fire. Between the two realities, Power Girl became catatonic.

"In a thousand alternate time lines you were always a thorn in our side," Saturn Queen sighed as she eased Superman's pain.

* * *

The Martian Manhunter came directly at Black Adam. J'onn fought him physically and psychically. But Black Adam's mental capacities were as hardened by the Egyptian gods as were his physical attributes.

But that wasn't to say he didn't feel the assault. Black Adam felt closer to defeat than ever before in his thousands of years of life. Not even madness had threatened his well being to this degree.

But every time his mental defenses began to crumble, the god Zahuti bolstered them once again. So Black Adam decided to distract J'onn from his telepathic attack by waging an all out physical war. Black Adam was undeniably stronger than the Martian despite J'onn robust might. And the Black Marvel had the speed of his gods at his disposal.

J'onn was stunned by the ferocity of Black Adam's assault. They'd never been friends but they had been teammates. An element J'onn had felt would play out in his favor. He was shocked that it wasn't.

J'onn transformed into an alien dragon and coiled himself around Black Adam. But the Black Marvel shrugged the Martian aside. J'onn suddenly halted all activity.

"Black Adam?" he uncertainly asked, "What am I doing? Why are we fighting? Why do I wish to harm you?"

"I suppose I'll have to intervene with you as well," Saturn Queen released a longsuffering sigh.

Black Adam had thought J'onn's mental attacks were threatening. Saturn Queen bested even Zahuti's efforts. But still, Black Adam refused to surrender.

She acknowledged this with one swift thought. Black Adam cried, "Shazam!"

Transforming back into Teth-Adam found himself several stories above the streets below. And as he fell, he found himself unable to say the wizard's name. There was no fight left in him after he impacted.

"Now I have to delve into your mind again, Martian," Saturn Queen said with disgust, "And it's such a horrific place to be."

* * *

Isis simply concentrated on avoiding Green Lantern's constructs and traps. And she threw the full might of her elemental powers at John Stewart. Where Power Ring had been a terrified young woman, John was an experienced veteran of a thousand campaigns with a mind that had formerly been his own.

But as their conflict waged, she sensed John was holding back. Suddenly he looked around in a daze, "Isis?"

John's indomitable will had reasserted itself. And then he simply shut down and fell to the street. Isis found herself confronted by Saturn Queen herself.

"I suppose I'll have to deal with you as well," Saturn Queen sounded weary.

"I am Isis!" she found herself inexplicably saying. Adrianna Tomaz found herself where her husband had earlier. With the same bone crunching results.

"Marvels," Saturn Queen snorted derisively.

* * *

Azrael found himself confronted by Templar Knight. Templar Knight spoke first, "It seems we finally meet, heretic."

"We needn't be enemies. Ancient divisions have no place in today's events," Azrael counsel him.

"Oh come now, need there be _two_ secret brotherhoods of knightly standard bearers?" Templar Knight asked scornfully, "You know in the end there's only room for one Order."

"Our two Orders have kept the peace for three hundred years. That doesn't need to end today," Azrael cautioned Templar Knight.

"Yes, it does," Templar Knight declared, "After today, the Knights Templar shall have one true Queen and we shall crush the heretic followers of Dumas who left our brotherhood centuries ago."

"There is no reasoning with you," Azrael extended his flaming blades.

"No, there isn't," Templar Knight drew his flaming sword.

As Templar Knight swung for Azrael's head, the Champion of the Order of St. Dumas ducked low and lunged forward, sinking his blades into Templar Knight's torso. Templar Knight beat between Azrael's shoulder blades with the hilt of his sword. Azrael withdrew while shielding himself with one blade above his head.

Templar Knight came at him in a frenzy. While Azrael defended himself with one blade, he cut away at Templar Knight with the other. As his opponent slowed, but refused to back down, Azrael finally disemboweled him.

Templar Knight finally halted his abuse, dropped his sword, and fell to his knees clutching at his hanging intestines. A familiar voice called out Azrael's name and he saw a cloaked figure standing in the doorway of a nearby shop. Azrael sprinted to it and followed the figure inside. Inside, she threw back her cowl.

"Sister Lilhy," Azrael bowed his head in greeting.

"I'm here to assist you, Jean-Paul," Lilhy announced, "The Order has located a potential threat here in Paris. She has the ability to control temporal fields thereby posing a risk of assisting our foes."

"I'm in a battle," Azrael protested.

"A battle is hardly the war and I'm talking about winning the entire conflict in one fell swoop," Lilhy told him.

"The person is here in Paris?" Azrael asked.

"Precisely," Lilhy smiled.

* * *

The Super Friends had been keeping Deathstroke moderately entertained. He had to give them the credit that they were definitely trying hard enough to stop him. Black Vulcan was the first to succumb to frustration. Deathstroke's new armor was forged from Nth metal. Therefore it was nonconductive.

Black Vulcan left himself wide open and Deathstroke used his power lance, its power depleted, like a bat and Black Vulcan's head was the ball.

Apache Chief plucked the lance away from Deathstroke and bent it in half. Deathstroke's response was to pluck a 40mm grenade from his bandolier and throw it at Apache Chief's feet. The grenade was originally intended to be shot out of a launcher but Deathstroke simply relied on his own strength. Apache Chief was forced to shift his density so that he phased through the explosion.

Deathstroke leapt into a high arc over the flames Samurai projected. Those same flames forced Apache Chief to remain intangible. Deathstroke twisted in midair and he delivered a kick to Samurai's head. Landing on his feet, he lobbed a second grenade at Apache Chief and then utilized a right cross to neutralize Samurai.

Throwing a third grenade at the Native American, Deathstroke insured that Apache Chief, unable to breathe while phased, was growing desperate for oxygen. Deathstroke lobbed his final grenade and it spewed forth gas that Apache Chief was finally forced to inhale deeply. He found himself knocked out by the gas.

Deathstroke spotted Azrael and Sister Lilhy departing the scene. He knew it had only been a matter of time before the Order of St. Dumas, obsessed as they were with technology and the scientists and engineers that created it, would learn of the specialist that had developed chronal technology here in Paris. But Deathstroke had his own countermeasure in play as well.

The he spotted the results of the action against the JLI and JLU. Atom threatened Trevor, Starling, and Bat-Girl. Slade had recognized Bat-Girl as being Elizabeth Kane. Elizabeth and Starling had once been members of the Black Razors. When Slade had been with Team 7 the two outfits had frequently supported one another. So Deathstroke owed Bat-Girl and Starling a debt of honor. Trevor he could care less about.

So while Atom was playing pin the tail on the donkey to decide who to kill first, Deathstroke simply drew his pistol and shot him from across the range between them. Then Slade advanced on the wounded Atom. That's when the Martian Manhunter interfered.

Deathstroke holstered his pistol and drew his sword, "You want to become involved? Fine, you're involved."

* * *

The second team of JLers exited the Dome from the rear entrance and was confronted by a team of…JLers. Question and Huntress found themselves confronted by Mr. Miracle. Huntress was less than impressed.

"Puh-lease. Mr. Miraculous here is nothing but a circus performer," she snorted.

"No, Mr. _Miracle_ is a performing escape artist stage performer," Question corrected her, "And he's a New God."

"Don't. Correct. Me," Huntress grated, "I hate it when you do that."

An oval shape rolled in between them. Huntress looked puzzled, "Is that a…?"

"Grenade?" Question asked, "I believe it is."

The stun grenade's detonation flattened them. Mr. Miracle stood by to see if they'd even twitch.

* * *

"Who the hell are you guys?" Speedy asked about Dark Ranger, the Knight and the Squire.

Black Canary knew the answer but she couldn't speak. And probably never would again. Her only regret was that her wound had cost Oliver Queen, Green Arrow, his life.

"Batman wannabes," Speedy said scornfully, proving to Dinah Lance that Mia Deardon had more than an inkling of who their foes actually were.

Dark Ranger attacked Black Canary leaving Knight and Squire dealing with Speedy. Black Canary was actually impressed by Dark Ranger. The Australian displayed more talent than she would have otherwise assumed. It seemed Batman was far choosier than any JLer had guessed. Which given his choice of Batwing shouldn't have been surprising at all.

Black Canary held off Dark Ranger and then finally decided to fight for real. She subdued him within a few minutes afterwards. Then she heard an explosion.

Speedy had used an explosive arrow against the Knight. His armor protected him exactly the way she'd intended. But now he was irritated and she was putting up with the ninja-boy Squire. She beat him back by using her bow as a sword/club. Pushing him into a partial retreat, she netted him with a snare arrow.

"Have you guys ever looked in a mirror?" Speedy taunted them.

"Set down your bow and remove your quiver," the Knight ordered, "The days of rogue bowmen running amuck in this land are done with."

"I'm not the rogue, you dimwit," Speedy grated.

Black Canary intercepted the Knight. His armor was perfectly sculpted and fashioned, much like Batman's lighter weight variant, so that the Knight had ease of movement. And he knew exactly how to move in order to trouble Black Canary. But she still inflicted a great deal of punishment. After a well placed kick to his back, Black Canary knew he'd be pissing blood in the morning. And now the stitch in his side would hamper his movements.

"Canary, break off!" Speedy called out. Her stunner arrow was conducted by the Knight's own armor rather than it shielding him. He quickly passed out.

Black Canary applauded Speedy and the archer took a bow. As she looked up she pointed, "Waitasec! Who's that?"

Black Canary saw the same brightly costumed figure access the Dome. Speedy shook her head, "That can't be good. The only one inside is Vapor and she's wounded."

Black Canary gave her a grim look and Speedy groaned, "And Killer Frost is alone with her."

They sprinted for the door and utilized the temporary pass code they'd been given.

* * *

"I think we make a very good team, don't you think?" Crimson Fox inquired of Animal Man as Man-of-Bats and Raven Red positioned themselves to strike out at the pair.

"We do seem to get paired up quite regularly," Animal Man admitted.

"I think if you wanted a new partner, you would simply object and find a new one," Crimson Fox smirked, " _Non_?"

"Don't read everything into that," Animal Man advised her.

" _Oui_ , because you are still married and respect the sanctity of the marriage bed," Crimson Fox teased him, "But who says we require a bed just yet?"

Animal Man stared at her. Crimson Fox grew embarrassed, "What? You suddenly find me attractive?"

"Perhaps you could have your domestic moment later?" Man-of-Bats wearily asked.

"One minute," Animal Man protested, "I just have to know something before I make another comment."

"Feel free to ask away," Crimson Fox told him.

He took hold of her shoulders and brought her a long awaited kiss. At first she was stiffened by her surprise. But then she melted into him.

When they broke apart, Crimson Fox actually wore a shy smile, "It seems we think alike after all."

"We're on a schedule," Man-of-Bats nagged them.

"Which one do you want?" Animal Man sighed.

"You are my brave, strong hero. You take the adult," Crimson Fox decided, "I will deal with _mon petit_."

Unfortunately the battle was completely lopsided. And it didn't go well for the JLA.

* * *

"Down boy," Batwoman urged the hulking Tasmanian Devil.

"Crikey lady, I ain't a bloody dingo," Tasmanian Devil protested.

"But you're from Australia," Batwoman realized.

"And they say Yanks don't even have a grasp of the obvious," Tasmanian Devil snorted.

"I hope you have a good dental plan," Batwoman warned him.

"Bring it, Sheila," Tasmanian Devil began to look forward to this fight.

He easily swatted aside her early attacks. Then he went on the offensive. He backed Batwoman up to the shops across the street from the Dome. He caved in bricks as his fist pounded them free from their mortar.

Batwoman pulled out a chunk of smart metal and hit it with an electrical probe. Then she slapped it against Tasmanian Devil's chest. It changed shape and wrapped itself as a band across his arms and chest. He found he couldn't break free.

Kathy Duquesne promised herself she'd take Rocki Ballantine out for a "thank you" dinner and night on the town when she returned to Gotham.

* * *

Fire and Ice tried using their powers to neutralize Goldilocks. But one of the chief requirements for being a cat burglar was possessing a high degree of agility. So Goldilocks continually dodged flames and cold waves while lashing out and striking back with her hair.

What she found was Fire was a difficult target because she could fly. But Ice was much more sedentary. So she smothered Ice by wrapping Tora Olafsdottir's head in her hair. Fire tried burning it away but the magic imbuing the hair protected it.

Fire eventually landed in her desperation to assist Ice. And Goldilocks snared her as well. Ice succumbed first and then Fire joined her friend in enforced slumber.

* * *

At Nightshade's behest, Black Orchid flew up to meet Firestorm…and hit him. His fusion derived body had the wherewithal to withstand her super strength so he took flight after her as she led the chase. At a signal from Nightshade, Black Orchid streaked by her friend. And Nightshade created a rift that swallowed Firestorm into the Night Force as he pursued.

Afterwards, Black Orchid felt compelled to ask, "Is he and the Flash really going to be okay in there?"

"They'll survive," Nightshade said evasively, "They might require a few decades' worth of therapy afterwards but they'll be all right physically."

"That's what I was afraid of," Black Orchid confessed.

* * *

Enchantress unleashed a slew of spells against the Israeli known as Seraph. In his honor she recreated Biblical plagues which included, but weren't limited to, boils and sores, flaming hail stones, locusts that could sting, and torrential downpours. Seraph weathered it all.

He threw the rod of Moses on the ground and it transformed into an automobile sized serpent. Enchantress turned it back with the wave of her hand. Seraph summoned a fireball from the heavens which Enchantress shunted aside.

Seraph then afflicted Enchantress with the plague of leprosy. Enchantress threw it from herself to him with a thrust of her hands. Seraph's final exertion after healing himself was to utilize the strength of Samson himself as he marched towards the witch. He was exactly where Enchantress wanted him.

She opened a massive pit beneath him and then buried him underneath the street. Cracks appeared in the blacktop as Seraph resisted his condition. And then finally he fell silent.

* * *

Silver Swan tried to stay aloft as Sandstorm blew himself all around her. He managed to drive her out of the sky. As she alighted before Tundra, he left her and Sandstorm recomposed himself.

Tundra created an Arctic vortex around Silver Swan. The biting winds and snow bit at Silver Swan but they couldn't kill her. But in the end, she'd withstood enough misery.

So she sang her swan song. It blew Sandstorm apart and almost liquefied Tundra's flesh from her bones. Afterwards Silver Swan was left wondering, yet again, why Ares hadn't revoked her powers when she left his service. What did the god of war still have in mind for her when she no longer fought Princess Diana? And in fact, Diana had returned to self-exile amongst the Amazons. All Silver Swan knew for certain are that she wouldn't like whatever task he would demand of her.

* * *

Horus had been found in Egypt and recruited into the Titans by Ravager. He was empowered by the same Egyptian gods that gave their might to the Black Marvels and now Mary Marvel. And Isis had just spotted him and had no idea he was really her brother.

He knew his benefactors had slightly altered his appearance and that because Shazam didn't channel the gods' power to him, there would be a distinct difference in the magical taint that the carried. Rather than receive his power through Shazam, he got it from the wizard's children, Satanus and Blaze.

But even their spell, fashioned by the two of them cooperating, couldn't match the potency of the father despite emanating from the same originating source. So while Horus was still stronger than Maxi-Man, it was only by a marginal degree. And Horus found himself enduring a great deal of punishment because he knew nothing about the art of combat whereas Maxi-Man had trained for the last three years in various fighting techniques. He knew just where and how to hit someone.

Horus was driven into a frenzy and he turned on Maxi-Man like a madman. And even the greatest fighters can be overwhelmed by insanity. Horus simply beat Maxi-Man into the ground before Cascade turned herself into water and formed a bubble surrounding Horus.

Finding himself unable to breathe or speak, Horus took flight hoping to shake Cascade loose. He accidently flew into overhead power lines and the electricity jolted Cascade into unconsciousness. She reverted into being human before she hit the ground.

Horus struggled to regulate his panicked breathing. He'd thought himself immune from all harm. Evidently he had limitations Satanus and Blaze had neglected to warn him about.

* * *

Cheshire was impressed with Fleur-de-Lis. The French woman moved with a deadly grace that mirrored Cheshire's own. Centrix, on the other hand, was a brief distraction. She finished him rather quickly with her poison laden fingernails. But the poison was specifically mixed to only subdue and not kill on this outing. But Centrix would wish that he were dead upon reviving.

Fleur-de-Lis actually pushed Cheshire to her limits. But in the end, Cheshire was still the deadlier of the two. But, as before, she spared Fleur-de-Lis' life. Until such time as she was ordered to kill her.

* * *

Arsenal simply shot Jet in the chest before he could attack. While he was reloading his crossbow, Arsenal found himself under attack from Manticore. The mythical man-beast engaged Arsenal but Roy Harper just evaded while he loaded a quarrel and cocked his crossbow. Once that was accomplished, he shot the bolt into Manticore's eye. The JLI member fell as if dead.

* * *

The third Justice League and Titan team had exited into the Dome's gardens. Katana was beginning to believe Black Bat was telepathic. No matter how or where Katana struck out at, Black Bat was already there with a defense. Black Bat responded just as Katana began to move. Her speed was incredible and her insight uncanny.

But, fortunately Black Bat wasn't as nimble on the attack. Katana managed to deflect, block, or parry nearly every blow Black Bat utilized. But Black Bat slipped under Katana's defenses and threw her across the way.

But Katana tucked and rolled onto her feet, drawing the SoulTaker from its scabbard as she did so. Black Bat retained her enigmatic silence as she flicked two collapsible batons into their full extension. Then the combat began in deadly earnestness.

Black Bat proved to be just as accurate in predicting where Katana's sword stroke would fall. While she blocked with one baton, Black Bat attacked with the other. Katana tested her defenses a few times before Black Bat shifted into offense.

She was swift and brutal but Katana countered every attack, surge, and lunge. Finally, Katana decided to bring the matter to a close. Her sudden onslaught required Black Bat to use both batons in tandem. In order to stay alive.

If Black Bat couldn't read body language like a hidden script, she would have been killed right away. But she managed to endure. Black Bat managed a few rallies before Katana forced her back into a defensive posture.

Time had become meaningless as only survival mattered at that point. Suddenly though, Black Bat went rigid and then keeled over. Batwoman stood behind her grinning while she held a taser in her hand.

"I'd say I didn't mean to interrupt but I'd be lying," Batwoman admitted.

"My thanks," Katana said with equanimity.

Batwoman knelt and rolled Black Bat onto her face. She cuffed the girl's hands behind her back. Katana shook her head.

"Those will not hold her," she warned.

"Humor me," Batwoman requested.

* * *

Batwing had never been given the opportunity to retrieve a spare flight pack. So he fought Darknight and Ri on even ground. The couple thought they had strength in numbers but Batwing was efficient in the use of his batons. Darknight fell before him first and Ri was a close second.

They'd recognized elements of the blend of martial arts that Batwing had used but they had no idea that he'd received several months of intensive training from Richard Dragon at Batman's behest. Even if they had known they would have been woefully unprepared for his attack.

* * *

Hawkman bore Starman no ill will. But he and Gavyn had never been close even in the JLU. But then again, Carter hadn't been close to anyone. He'd been too busy trying to determine where Carter Hall began and Khufu ended.

But Starman's insistence on trying to fry Hawkman with solar energy bolts soured Carter's disposition. Gavyn could fly but his element was outer space. Atmospheric conditions hampered him.

But they were Hawkman's true element. So he flew circles around Starman before he finally finished the prince off with a blow from his Nth metal mace. Landing beside Starman's fallen body, Hawkman applied another blow to the head just to be certain.

Reverb couldn't fly but Goldstar could. So Troia's options were narrowed down. Every time Troia tried to put distance between her and Reverb, Goldstar hemmed her in with energy blasts.

Reverb's powers seemed identical to Vibe's. And he could nearly shake Donna's bones apart. But then Hawkman swatted Reverb from behind and Troia knew the battle was hers.

Seconds later, Troia dropped the unconscious Goldstar at Hawkman's feet, "Notice anything peculiar about these two?"

"They're not dead?" Hawkman ventured.

"She's a Booster Gold clone right down to physical resemblance and he's the same with Vibe," Troia pointed out.

"I still hear fighting," Hawkman observed, "Care to investigate?"

"I'd love to," Troia confessed.

* * *

Godiva found Echo could deflect her hair. Something that had never been brought up in Global Guardian or JLI training sessions. Blue Beetle was simply a nuisance. She took hold of him and bounced his head off of a lamppost a few times and he was defeated.

Godiva sent multiple waves of hair at Echo but she knew Terri Eckhart's secret. So while she staged a frontal assault, Godiva snuck tendrils of hair between Echo's legs and finally wrapped them around the pop star's throat. It was simply a matter of time after that.

Little Mermaid was hard pressed trying to defeat the Olympian. The demigod was a match for Ulla in strength and both could fly. But the true kicker was that the Golden Fleece made him invulnerable to harm. Ulla thought about luring him to the Seine and half drowning him.

"Astrides," Godiva called his name as she approached.

"Dorcas?" he grew confused as though warring within himself.

"Precisely," she plucked the Golden Fleece from his shoulders with her hair.

Ulla stepped in and beat him senseless. Ulla eyed Godiva, "That distraction was…effective."

"One night together and he thinks we're soul mates destined to spend our lives together," Godiva huffed, "You're lucky you never slept with a teammate."

"Does this explain Killer Frost?" Ulla wondered.

Godiva wondered that as well.

* * *

"I can feel you, little Gypsy," Praxis warned her, "You're nearby."

"That's great. Because I can actually see you," Gypsy retorted.

"Let's not argue. Come with me and Saturn Queen will realign your priorities," Praxis offered.

"That's generous but I like my priorities just the way they are," Gypsy countered.

"J'onn would disagree," Praxis played his trump card.

"J'onn is currently out of his mind," Gypsy snorted.

"I have you!" Praxis cried.

His mind filled with an image of Gypsy. And she suddenly tore his mental shields apart. He was drowning in his own mind when the psychic serial killer that bestowed his mental powers upon Detective Jason Praxis before he died, rose up, and consumed Praxis's soul.

Gypsy blinked to find Praxis out cold, "Now that was…interesting."

* * *

Ravager faced down Hood, Nightrunner, and Wingman. She smiled, "Now boys, there's only one of me to go around. So you'll have to share. Care to take a turn apiece?"

Hood lunged at her and she grabbed his head and drove her knee into his gut. Flipping him onto his back, she stomped on his breastbone and broke it. Nightrunner sprinted towards her and she kneed his face as he charged. She threw him down and locked her leg beneath his armpit and yanked his arm out of socket.

"I'm beginning to think Batman's recruiting standards were pretty low," Ravager grinned at Wingman, "What do you say?"

Wingman assumed a boxing stance and Ravager yawned, "Old school."

She locked his wrist and hyperextended his elbow before using the heel of her hand to knock him out. Afterwards she drew her twin swords and stabbed each man in the ribs and both legs, "That'll keep you staying put."

Then Ravager set out to obtain a vehicle. She had a date with a scientist here in Paris.

* * *

Tattooed Man's shadowy tattoo creations fought Rising Sun and Dr. Light. The struggle between light and dark raged unabated while Mark Richards approached the Japanese couple on foot. He easily knocked Rising Sun out before attempting to do the same to Dr. Light.

She panicked when Rising Sun was subdued and began emitting a flurry of photon bolts. But they represented the ultimate expression of her power so she quickly wore herself down. Kimiyo Hoshi practically fainted before Tattooed Man applied the nerve pinch that knocked her out.

* * *

Gunslinger shot both of Freedom Beast's hybrids with her submachine gun. The she stitched a couple of bullets through his chest. El Gaucho got close enough to rip the gun from her hand. But she pushed him back with a kick to the chest before drawing her magnum revolver and putting a round through his side.

An invisible arm wrapped around her throat. Gunslinger holstered the pistol and drew one of her knives. Slicing across the arm, she felt Mr. Unknown release her. And then the blood from the wound gave him away as she drew her pistol again and dropped him.

* * *

Vapor watched Tuatara's egress through the Dome. She reset the security defenses and then grimly observed as his precognition abilities allowed him to sidestep every automated defense. Finally he reached the command center.

"I've got you now, Vapor!" Tuatara exclaimed.

"But what about me?" Killer Frost inquired.

Tuatara looked confused, "What?"

Ice formed over his body but she left his head unimpeded. Black Canary and Speedy arrived moments later and Speedy couldn't help but exclaim, "What the hell? I thought you were on his side."

"Actually, I'm on _my_ side," Killer Frost sounded like it was the simplest notion in the world, "And my goals and his goals don't match up."

"What goals?" Speedy was confused.

"She's got a hard on for Godiva," Vapor sighed.

"Vulgar but true," Killer Frost agreed.

"You realize you're a villain and she isn't?" Speedy wondered.

"And what were Goldilocks, Enchantress, and Silver Swan before they switched sides?" Killer Frost wondered, "They joined the Justice League Dark. I'm still shopping out which Justice League I want to work for."

Speedy could see Dinah shared her doubts.

* * *

While Guy searched for his missing power ring, he knew with a dread certainty it had abandoned him. Red Lanterns couldn't survive without their power rings. The mere fact he wasn't dead told the story.

"I'm gonna make Beak Brain squeal every time he sees me, from now on," Guy vowed.

He was bathed in a yellow light. He looked up to see a yellow power ring floating before him. And Guy knew he's been chosen.

Before, Guy had worn Sinestro's own ring. This was a yellow ring but it most definitely wasn't Sinestro's. Guy knew it was his alone.

He held out his hand and the ring landed in his palm. It sized itself for him as he slipped it on, "Oh yeah, baby. We're gonna bust some heads."

Guy's Red Lantern uniform altered colors and became a Fear Corps uniform. But the Corps' emblem wasn't present on Guy's chest. Instead a "G" stood in its place.

"Now ta make `em all suffer fer laughin' at me," Guy promised.

He lifted into the air, but the ring defied him and took him high into the atmosphere. Then he broke earth orbit before a wormhole opened up. When he emerged from it he saw the planet Qward, which meant he was in the antimatter universe.

Qward was the home to the Thunderers. It was also where the Fear Corps made its home. Here Guy would face the perils of the Fear Lodge where he would either triumph over his own fears or die in the attempt.

"Okay, let's bring it!" Guy whooped as he soared on towards Qward and his destiny.


	12. Chapter 12

33

The JSA All stars arrived in Gotham and promptly ignored ARGUS' first instruction. While Matron and Bette Kane packed up Mr. Minos and the caskets containing the bodies of Spyral's fallen, the All Stars allowed Penny O'Brien and Nancy Morgan to stay behind and search for Plastic Man and Dick Grayson. But after searching through the night, Morgan finally made Penny see reason.

"We won't be any good to them if we don't get a few hours rest and some food. We'll just pass out and wake up in a hospital wondering how the hell we got there," Morgan warned Penny.

"Maybe you're right," Penny finally relented, "Ah'll call Blackhawk and let him and Lady Blackhawk know we're knockin' off for a few hours. No reason we need to keep them on standby if we're not goin' to be callin' them anytime soon."

"That's the first sensible thing you've said in an hour," Morgan relented on her tirade, "I'll call around and book us a hotel."

They ended up in a rather run down motel but after Morgan inspected both rooms, and especially the sheets and showers, she agreed to take two adjoining rooms. The manager, totally unnerved by the sight of heavily armed women, offered them the best rates his chain allowed. Penny headed straight to the shower while Morgan shopped around on her phone for pizza and Chinese delivery.

Finding places nearby that seemed like they would serve decent food, Morgan placed a comprehensive order. Katherine Webb-Kane's accountants would want all the receipts but it was all, motel included, going on an agency credit card anyway. Morgan had reserved the rooms for the next two nights as well.

Penny knocked on the door and Morgan let her in and asked her to wait for the food while she showered. Penny was somewhat startled by the mention of food, "Ah confess. It slipped mah mind altogether."

"Eel…I mean Plas, has that effect on women," Morgan chuckled, "Don't pull me out of the shower unless the zombie apocalypse has begun."

"The what?" Penny was confused.

"You really need to get cable," Morgan laughed.

* * *

While Morgan bathed, Penny contacted Hula Hula. He had volunteered to continue to handle their case now that it transformed from a combat mission to a search and rescue. Blackhawk and Lady Blackhawk had also found lodgings closer to the airport. While the rest of Blackhawk Express returned to their airfield leased from the All Stars at the K-Star Ranch, the pair had received an Oracle-5 fresh off of Ferris Aircraft's assembly line. Its journey to the east coast had been its shakedown flight.

Penny knew the Blackhawks had been somewhat adrift with the loss of their entire flight line. She hoped things would normalize for them now. Penny then heralded the arrival of not one but two deliveries of much needed food. By the time Morgan emerged from the shower, Penny was on her third slice of pizza and had broken into the Genera Tso chicken and some rice.

Morgan dressed and joined Penny. She wolfed down as much food in the same voracious manner. Afterwards, when the culinary destruction was ebbing, Penny had a confession to make.

"Mah goodness, Ah think this was a really smart idea. Ah just couldn't let up on the search to think properly," Penny admitted.

"I was the same way when they reported Eel was dead," Morgan shared, "And then he left that damn note. I spent six weeks looking for him before I had my brainchild to join the FBI and use them to find him."

"If ya'll don't mind mah sayin' it but you sound like ya'll were a bit obsessed," Penny remarked.

"Love makes you do crazy things," Morgan said dryly.

"Point taken," Penny allowed, "But Ah don't think we'll be findin' them until they want to be found."

"Why?" Morgan was curious as to Penny's reasoning.

"`Cause they're probably in the one place no one can find," Penny sighed.

"Okay, I'll bite. Where's that?" Morgan wore a lazy grin, "Because I know rich kid Grayson has a mysterious past no one can look into, but you really think he has a secret hideaway here in town?"

"He'll be in the Bat Cave," Penny stated matter-of-factly, "An' Plas will be there with him."

"Bat Cave? Like in Bat _man_?" Morgan was astonished, "Eel knows the location of the Bat Cave?"

"No, but Dick does," Penny told her.

"Why would Grayson know where Batman lives?" Morgan, it seemed, was clueless regarding her fellow agent.

"`Cause Dick was the very first Robin before he became Nightwing," Penny shared, "He gave that up to join Spyral."

"Holy shit!" Morgan exclaimed, "Grayson is a farckin' superhero?"

"So was Plas but they both gave the life up when the joined Spyral for completely different reasons. Dick signed on `cause after the DEO identifies a meta as friendly or foe, then Spyral's job is to intervene should they get outta control before its escalates to a Justice League matter. ARGUS has the same mandate here domestically. The US just prefers to keep the UN out as much as possible," Penny explained, "Plas, Hula, and Ah joined up `cause, really, who's watchin' the watchers?"

"Omigod! Omigod! Omigod! You really all were frickin' superheroes," Morgan couldn't quite wrap herself around this simple fact.

"Ya'll okay? `Cause you seem to be seriously trippin' here," Penny was worried about her newly made friend.

"I mean, Grayson is cute in a younger puppy dog kinda way but I never thought he'd pour that tight ass into actual tights," Morgan was drooling now.

"Have Ah mentioned his girlfriend yet?" Penny sought to do some damage control.

"That's right, he lives with some Danish chick that works at the UN," Morgan seemed to vaguely recall.

"She's a member of the Justice League International," Penny clarified.

"No shit!" Morgan was bubbling over with curiosity, "Is she a staff member or does she wear actual spandex too?"

"Ulla Paske is called the Little Mermaid and she's also a charter member of the Global Guardians and now the JLI," Penny explained.

"Little Mermaid?" Morgan scoffed, "They actually let her call herself that? Why hasn't Disney sued her ass off yet?"

"`Cause Disney doesn't own the story Hans Christian Andersen wrote," Penny told her, "An' the story is like a national treasure in Denmark."

"Still it's a ridiculous name," Morgan observed, "Why use it at all?"

"Ulla is half-Atlantean," Penny revealed, "Her mother could only live outside of water for thirty hours at a time before havin' to go back to the ocean for the same amount of time. Ulla is the opposite `cause she can only breathe underwater for thirty hours `fore she has to surface for at least thirty more."

"That still doesn't explain the mermaid bit," Morgan said dryly.

"When Ulla immerses herself in water, she can fuse her legs into a tail and become a literal mermaid," Penny finally told her.

"A tail?" Morgan exclaimed, "Now you're making things up."

"Ya'll seem to be takin' this as a joke even though it ain't funny," Penny observed, "And ya'll are morbidly getting' obsessed as well."

"I just never realized a fellow agent was dating a…fish," Morgan stumbled for words.

"Ulla Paske is hardly a 'fish'," Penny grated, "She's a warm, carin', highly intelligent young woman. She also happens to have backed up the Justice League on more than one occasion, provin' herself invaluable every time. The girl's a certifiable hero."

"Then why didn't she ever join the JLU?" Morgan posed the though like it was a weapon.

"They asked. She turned `em down to remain with the Global Guardians. It wasn't until the Global Guardians got bumped up into bein' a Justice League of their own that she ever relented to join' up with a Justice League," Penny shared.

"That was stupid," Morgan said scornfully.

"It's called 'loyalty' and it's one of the things Dick loves most about Ulla," Penny explained.

"I can be loyal," Morgan decided.

"Ah don't think Ah like where this is ultimately goin'," Penny decided.

"Look, Grayson is a trust fund brat. What's this girl's family do?" Morgan asked.

"Her father is a lighthouse keeper and her mother is a handmaiden to an Atlantean queen," Penny easily answered.

"There you have it," Morgan said triumphantly, "She'd a gold digger and once I can establish that, we'll see what happens."

"You're gonna have a hard time provin' that though," Penny warned her.

"Why?" Morgan scoffed.

"Ulla and her mom have done a lot of undersea salvage. And Ah'm talkin' a _lot_. They've harvested wrecks from every era man went to sea. That's a helluva lot gold, silver, and artifacts to be bringin' out of the grave," Penny stated, "An' no one knows the family's real worth `cause they've hidden assets no one has seen yet."

"But they have revealed some of it, right?" Morgan gloated.

"Just a bit, yeah," Penny was trying really hard to keep a straight face.

"Then what are her visible assets worth?" Morgan inquired.

"The UN personnel records show her personal wealth to be over a billion Euros. `Course one hundred and fifty million of that was from when she worked as one of the Crimson Queen's personal guards. Not bad for two months' worth of work. Then she got another hundred million from Vegas after clearin' out a nest of rogue Legionnaires," Penny couldn't keep from gloating now.

"Well, if it isn't about the money then there's something else at play here," Morgan resolved.

"Have you ever heard about somethin' called 'love'?" Penny wondered, "Why are you so damn curious `bout all of this anyway?"

"Call it in intellectual exercise. If we get in Grayson's head we can predict when and where he'll pop up on the grid again. And he'll have Eel with him," Morgan reasoned it out.

Penny had a strong hunch Morgan wanted to get into more than Dick's head. But she let it go for now hoping Morgan would just drop it as well.

* * *

"Look Commish, we're standin' by ya fer whatever ya have planned," Wildcat assured Barbara Gordon," Some of us here knew yer Pops. He was a good man and I hear yer a helluva cop too."

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you talking about my father like he's dead," Barbara teased him, "Because when I call him at his home in Seattle and explain that the JSA All Stars are eulogizing him, he might fly back to Gotham just to stick his foot up your asses."

Barbara turned serious, "And there weren't many candidates for this job left standing after what Maggie Sawyer did to the GCPD. But the entire department appreciates the All Stars' help."

"What happened to your emergency reservists pulled from other police departments and various agencies?" Dr. Mid-Nite asked.

"Those men and women were pulling ninety hour shift weeks between their jobs at home and filling out here in Gotham. And rising troubles in the surrounding areas have curtailed their support," Barbara explained.

"What about Batman?" Vibe popped up.

Wildcat stifled a groan. Vibe didn't know Barbara used to be Batgirl. And maybe more.

"The arrest warrant on Batman stands. He hasn't shown himself for two weeks now, if you discount so-called sightings last night, and the city prefers it that way," Barbara said glacially.

Wildcat could definitely tell where the winds blew on that one. Harvey Bullock popped his head into her office, "Hey Babs! Our warnin' system picked up a huge boom tube in the Narrows at the abandoned rail line."

"Abandoned line?" Dr. Mid-Nite inquired.

"The subway was never finished through that part of town. It was decided it was cheaper to shift to an overhead monorail. But there are still abandoned tunnels with half laid tracks leading to nowhere. The whole area is even more replete with scum and flotsam than the usual gatherings in the Narrows," Barbara warned them, "I can't send men down there because they never return. My father and Sawyer declared the whole section an off limits zone. We let the criminal hierarchy determine what's justice down there."

"Can ya arrange a ride fer us to get there?" Wildcat asked, "`Cause if the Legion's sniffin' around all hell is gonna break loose."

"Lt. Bullock, arrange for transportation for the All Stars to the Narrows. Have the officers with them form a perimeter but they are to hold back. Understood?"

"Ain't nobody goin' down there, Commish," Bullock assured her, "And stop callin' me Lootenant."

"Stop calling me 'Babs'," Barbara countered.

"Deal," Bullock agreed, "Yeesh. Okay anyone wearin' tights, follow me."

As they filed out of her cramped office, Barbara analyzed her first inspection of Ted Grant since his recent rejuvenation. He was even younger than she was yet he was the same person through and through. He carried his veteran authority with ease. Which eased some of Barbara's concerns that she couldn't do the same.

* * *

"Please tell me there's a reason why we're here?" Superwoman requested as she surveyed the human detritus and villainy that populated the Narrows.

"I can't spot anyone," Ultraman reported to his 'father', "Just the usual lowlife scum."

"This is the location Brainiac gave," Lightning Lord's voice with filled with quiet menace, "So they're here somewhere."

Mirror Master was poking around the collection of graffiti laden plywood that dominated one side of the street. He found a crack and used a mirror to illuminate the interior behind the wood barricade, "I think I found a subway station."

Ultraman and Blockbuster smashed away the plywood. A large stairwell was revealed, designed to accommodate dozens of commuters all at once. Signalman led the way, throwing out enhanced light sticks.

When they reached the actual station, they found the electricity was still on. And fresh lights had been installed. Signalman pointed that out.

"This line was never completed. Those light fixtures should be thirty years old yet they're modern," Signalman explained.

"So where does this tunnel go to, wise guy?" El Diablo wondered.

"Take a left and you join the regular rail line," Signalman informed the group, "To the right? No one exactly knows."

"Then you shall go right," Lightning Lord commanded.

"And you didn't see anything," Superwoman sneered at Ultraman.

Lightning Lord held him back as the Crime Syndicate, the Chaos Avatars, the Rogues, and the Legionnaires proceeded down the rail tunnel, "Don't let her discourage you. The time is coming when she will obey your very whim. You will do with her whatever you please and she will submit or die."

Ultraman liked the sound of that. Lightning Lord shared some insights, "Brainiac revealed these tunnels to me. We'll let the others go ahead and draw out the Injusticers. You and I, though, have another task to accomplish first."

"I'll do whatever you say," Ultraman assured him.

"I know you will," Lightning Lord smiled.

* * *

"It's so…enclosed," Sparrow Hawk winced as the tunnel stretched on further than anyone had expected.

"Rats always prefer a tight den," Condor mused.

"Look, the tunnel widens up ahead," Captain Cold pointed out.

They stepped out of the tunnel to a natural cavern. But the cavern was reinforced with columns and structural supports. And lights were strung everywhere.

"What the hell?" Shrapnel was the first to ask.

"If we follow the supports we'll find the architects that employ this space," Condor predicted.

Several fighting cages and octagons were soon discovered. Various targets and human silhouettes were near them. It was obviously a training facility of some sort. But who trained here and whom did they serve?

Soon, an artificial structure loomed ahead of them. It was massive and built along the lines of the Roman coliseum. One side of the structure sidled up to the cavern wall whereas the other had free space in which to maneuver.

"I'll take a team and circumnavigate this to see if we can affect an entrance," Superwoman declared. She named off her team and then looked around, "Where the hell if that lummox, Ultraman?"

No one had a clue so finally she snorted in disgust, "I'll deal with the coward later."

The remainder of the Crime Syndicate took Legionnaires with them. Captain Cold studied the walls of the structure, "Blockbuster, we need a door."

She simply caved in a wall. Condor and the Avatars took the lead, "It appears to be a maze of some kind. Follow us and our enhanced senses will lead the way."

"Just keep up," Kestrel added to Condor's statement.

It seemed like hours but they eventually reached the center of the maze. The vast library and assorted sarcophaguses disturbed most of them. Swan stopped Mirror Master and Heat Wave from drinking from the fountain.

"It's tainted," Swan warned them, "I can smell the poison in it."

"Who built all of this?" the Top had to ask.

"You don't suppose the subway construction was stopped to hide this?" Pied Piper wondered, "Monorails aren't cheap. So why did one suddenly become a better economic choice?"

"It's a creepy conspiracy theory," Shrapnel complained.

"Want me to torch the place?" Volcana asked. She'd escaped ISA custody in Paris and rejoined the Legion after midnight Parisian time.

"No," Captain Cold objected, "There are myths and legends of a dark underworld group that controls even Gotham's Five Families. This may be one of their 'nests'."

Captain Cold asked Condor, "Which way, in a straight line, is the way out?"

Condor pointed. Captain Cold turned to Blockbuster, "Make us a path."

She smashed through the maze until she led them to a connecting structure which led into a basement. Climbing the stairs their assort group spilled into a high rise lobby. Then they spilled out into the street.

* * *

"They have defiled sacred ground," the Talon named Aneesa complained to Nyssa al Ghul.

"Then why don't you go down and get yourself martyred?" Nyssa asked, "Or you could actually serve your lords and ladies and await their command. We shall deal with these interlopers."

"I sense you have a role for me as well," White Rabbit spoke up.

"I have roles for both you and Jaina Hudson," Nyssa told her. She kindly didn't point out Jaina and White Rabbit were ultimately two manifestations of a single person, "I need Jaina to check on Bruce Wayne to find out how he's doing after his…encounter…with bad seafood."

White Rabbit's eyes widened a bit. She knew she shouldn't be surprised an al Ghul knew Batman's secret identity. What did surprise her was Nyssa already knew she and Jaina knew it as well.

"I'll…let her know," White Rabbit agreed, "And for me?"

"I need you to determine who's behind this hunting party," Nyssa informed her.

"You think they're after you and the Injusticers?" White Rabbit asked.

"I don't think they're here after a lone Talon," Nyssa specified, "And we're the only other ones that have utilized the tunnels and training facilities here lately."

"Okay, I'm on it," White Rabbit promised.

Nyssa summoned her Injusticer chieftains and laid out her plan.

* * *

"This is one big ass circle," Signalman complained.

"Doesn't this thing ever end?" El Diablo whined.

"Shut up, the pair of you!" Superwoman demanded.

"I'm getting hungry," King Shark grumbled.

"People, we seriously need to keep him hydrated," Psi warned the group, "Or some really bad shit will start to happen."

"Power Ring, do an echo location of this space. Look for any deviation in this structure up ahead," Atomica suggested.

Power Ring sent out a green wave of energy. In seconds the Ring of Volthoom began to flash, "There's a connecting chamber leading to a lower subbasement. It could be a high rise of some sort."

"Then we make for that," Superwoman decided.

* * *

The All Stars were fast on the Crime Syndicate's trail. It hadn't been hard to deduce where the Legion and its allies had entered the abandoned subway tunnels. Coming on the ruptured maze, they'd decided to follow the tracks circling the building rather than get bogged down in the maze.

So when the All Stars came upon the Crime Syndicate and Legion members preparing to breach the connecting structure between the high rise basement and the maze, Wildcat had to chuckle, "Well, lookee here."

"You really should have stayed away," Superwoman warned them, "We don't need distractions right now."

"Too bad, `cause ya got `em in spades," Wildcat retorted.

"Take them down!" Superwoman commanded and her allied force mobilized into action.

* * *

"Where the hell are we?" Golden Glider asked.

"Holy hell is more like it," Captain Cold observed the rather upscale neighborhood that bordered the Narrows, "You'd never suspect a thing."

An arrow plunged deep into Condor's chest. Everyone looked up in time to see Nyssa put another one in Condor's eye. She drew back a third arrow and shot his crotch.

Condor had the decency to whimper despite his healing factor already kicking in as he pulled arrows out. Nyssa wore a feral grin, "Those were warning shots. I advise you to leave this area while you still can."

"We can't do that until we achieve our goal," Captain Cold warned her.

"And what is your purpose here then?" Nyssa already knew but she wanted it confirmed.

"Our express goal is to eliminate you. Your Injusticers can go free if you just surrender yourself," Captain Cold offered.

"Do I strike you as a lamb that will go meekly to my own death?" Nyssa wondered.

"Er…no," Captain Cold admitted.

"Then there you have it," Nyssa fired another arrow from her fifth story window ledge. And she continued filling Condor up with arrows as the Injusticers emerged and surrounded the Legion and its allies.

"Ah hell," Captain Cold grimaced at seeing combat was inevitable.

* * *

Wildcat fought El Diablo again outside the Owls' maze. For this encounter, El Diablo used a combination of his reliable boxing skills and his still as-of-yet unreliable pyrokinetic abilities. Wildcat would gain an advantage and El Diablo would force him back with flames until he rallied again. But Wildcat relentlessly came back at El Diablo time and again. Finally, while El Diablo was being battered senseless, he lit Wildcat on fire. The veteran hero rolled in the dirt and gravel to try and extinguish himself.

At first El Diablo was horrified. But that changed and soon he reveled in what he'd done. And looked forward to doing more of it.

* * *

"I hear you're actually blind to visible light and see the world through other spectrums instead," Signalman told Dr. Mid-Nite, "I took an interest because I figured an encounter like this was inevitable. So I prepared. I hope you appreciate my efforts."

"Did you talk this much in prison too?" Dr. Mid-Nite inquired.

"Very droll," Signalman tossed a cylinder with a flashing emitter head off to one side and another to the other side.

Dr. Mid-Nite found himself blinded by a "flare" and he couldn't clear his vision. Signalman chuckled, "I'd relax if I was you. Those ultraviolet and infrared flares should be wreaking havoc with your unique vision."

Dr. Mid-Nite dropped a blackout bomb and Signalman shook his head, "That won't even slow my flares' emissions. All it does is make it harder for me to deal with you. You could make that easier and just surrender."

"Go to hell," Dr. Mid-Nite called out of the inky darkness.

Signalman shrugged, "Suit yourself."

Signalman strapped on acoustic headgear with displays lowered over his eyes. Using a form of sonar, the sound reflected back at the receivers was translated into a visible display. Thereby granting Signalman the vision Dr. Mid-Nite currently lacked. Knowing he only had twenty minutes before his emitters burned out, Signalman went to work subduing Dr. Mid-Nite.

* * *

Cyclone was still barely speaking to King Chimera as he blanketed the area with projections of the pair. Multiplex began duplicating himself through his fission powers. Each doppelganger was slightly weaker than the original but they all possessed the same mind and intent. And they also seemed to harbor some primitive form of hive mind where they were all mutually aware of each others' perceptions.

"I can't stir the air down here," Cyclone whispered to King Chimera, "It's too still. If I get it going I might have to push so hard to start anything I could lose control over whatever I create."

"You don't have much of a choice, Maxine," King Chimera warned her, "Multiplex is quickly sorting out what is illusion and what is real."

"Why did you sleep with her?" Cyclone suddenly blurted.

"Who?" King Chimera asked.

"Giganta," Cyclone said with distaste.

"Atom Smasher bedded Volcana. I don't see you getting self righteous with him," King Chimera was getting a little angry now.

"He's Anna's problem," Cyclone was beginning to raise her voice, "You're mine."

"It seemed like an opportunity at the time," King Chimera snapped at her, "You know I was thief back then. Giganta seemed like a means to getting an introduction to the Legion of Doom."

"So you didn't love her," Cyclone realized.

"I loved the idea and not the woman. When she realized that she burned any bridge I could have had with the Legion," King Chimera explained, "Afterwards Sentinel, Flash, and Wildcat recruited me to the Justice Society."

" _Ahem_ ," Multiplex cleared his throat. They realized they were surrounded.

"It was considerate of you to give away your position but I really must insist you submit before I have to simply kill you," Multiplex spoke with a hundred voices.

"Hold on to something," Cyclone advised King Chimera.

"To what? Gravel?" he asked.

"Just hit the dirt," Cyclone sighed as dust devils began to form up. And then they intensified into microcosmic tornadoes. Multiplexes were swallowed whole and Cyclone joined King Chimera on the ground.

She gave him a baleful expression, "I warned you this might happen."

"Have you tried shutting them down?" he asked.

"No, I invited them to play shuffleboard," Cyclone smarted off.

"It's a good game for meeting rich old women. You shouldn't knock it," King Chimera advised her.

Cyclone merely rolled her eyes.

* * *

Lightning rolled electricity between her palms. Psi heaved a heavy sigh, "So you throw electricity. Have anything interesting to bring to the table?"

"You'll be finding out," Lightning promised.

"Okay, take your best shot and let's see what you've got to offer," Psi urged her.

Lightning threw bolts of electricity at Psi. But to her chagrin, Psi's telekinetic power arced the electricity around her and it streamed off at the structure dominating the cavern.

"Nothing much then," Psi smirked.

"What is it you do, exactly?" Lightning suddenly lifted off the ground and twirled around before being set back down.

"I have my humble talents," Psi grinned.

Lightning barraged Psi with an electrical storm front. Psi was barely able to shrug off the torrent. But she managed to spare an iota of concentration in order to slap a chokehold on Lightning. Lightning, realizing she could break the hold through physical means, amplified her discharge intending to wear Psi down before she passed out.

Lightning managed to break Psi's defense and stun her just seconds before she herself lapsed into unconsciousness from lack of oxygen. The question remained, who would awaken first to finish off the other one.

* * *

"Hey _chica_ , it's always nice to meet a Latina in spandex," Vibe tried to be friendly towards Power Ring.

"Stay back, I'm warning you," Power Ring was terrified of him and Vibe couldn't understand it.

"It's the new costume, isn't it?" he wondered, "Mr. Terrific updated my look when I joined the All Stars. But it practically screams 'techno gadget'."

"I'm not telling you again," Power Ring was desperately struggling with some inner demons.

"You never told me the first time," Vibe countered. And then he perceived the constructs the Ring of Volthoom was projecting before Jessica Cruz's eyes. What he could make from them, it was some pretty horrid stuff.

Power Ring unleashed waves of terrifying constructs at Vibe. But Vibe's abilities allowed him to see they were derived from interdimensional sources. Like a bizarre blending of the Emotional Spectrum. The power ring she wore was a nexus of realities, not truly existing in any one dimensional plane.

Vibe experimented by releasing a vibration wave on a counter frequency. It blew the constructs apart. And seemed to liberate Jessica from the ring's control.

"Please! You have to get this ring off of me!" Jessica begged, "It chose me but it torments me all the time. It makes me afraid and uses that to make me do bad things."

"Okay, just calm down…" Vibe requested.

"I am calm!" Jessica screeched, "I just can't get it off. When I'm not hurting people it _feeds_ off of me. If I don't do what it wants it slowly starts killing me. I don't want to die because of this damn ring!"

"Just hang tight and I'll…uh oh," Vibe interrupted himself.

"What?" Jessica was headed for new hysterical heights as she saw the Ring of Volthoom begin to glow, "Get away! While you still can!"

Power Ring blazed away with emotional energy at him. Vibe's vibrational shield destroyed the oncoming wave of constructs. Acknowledging its human bearer couldn't defeat this foe, nor did she even want to, the Ring directed her in other direction. Jessica carved out debris from the maze walls and caved in portions of the cavern ceiling and deposited all of the debris on Vibe.

Vibe was able to shattered most of the larger debris but it was still like getting pelted by a ton of gravel. He remained alive but he was struggling to extricate himself from the rock and concrete piled atop him. Power Ring broke off from engaging him at that point.

* * *

Shining Knight stared down King Shark, "Have at thee, hellspawn!"

"You're really trying to offend me, aren't you?" King Shark asked, "Worst. Mistake. Ever."

"I shall dispatch thee back to the pits of hell whence thee came from," Sir Justin pledged.

"One problem with that is I don't feel like going anywhere that doesn't involve ocean depths," King Shark warned him before raking Shining Knight's torso with his claws.

An attack that buffeted Sir Justin but left him unharmed. King Shark was actually impressed, "That chainmail is actually useful, I take it."

"Mine enchanted mail is proof enough against any harm," Sir Justin boasted.

"We'll just see about that," King Shark now had a predatory gleam in his eyes.

He gripped Shining Knight's sword arm and squeezed until his pressure born strength caused Sir Justin to drop his sword. Then, grabbing Shining Knight behind the neck and by the belt, King Shark hefted him into the air, "We'll see if you taste just like tuna."

His iron jaws and their rows of sharp teeth clamped down on Sir Justin's armor and the bite just intensified as King Shark promised himself something was going to give and it wouldn't be him.

* * *

Superwoman went straight for Hawk's throat. Their combat was especially savage as Hawk relied on his brute strength and talons and Superwoman used her lifetime of training and inhuman speed to stay in the fight. Hawk didn't realize though, Atomica had ridden Superwoman's cape clasp into the fight. Dove had spotted her too late and now she was within Hawk's body.

While the Lord of Chaos that empowered Hawk utilized Hank Hall's human template, his internal structure was reinforced and his autoimmune system bolstered as efficiently as his hyperactive healing factors. So Atomica plunged out of Hawk creating little more than a headache.

Atomica had never been so aggressively attacked by an immune system before so she was shaken as she returned to her customary stature. Dove struck quickly, before Atomica could respond. Hitting the nerve clusters in Atomica's shoulder sockets, Dove paralyzed both of Atomica's arms so she couldn't use her palm triggers in her suit to alter her size. A simple chokehold was enough the carry the day afterwards.

Dove decided to see about assisting Hawk at that point.

* * *

On the streets above, the Injusticers were split into three factions. The Injustice League held the high ground from vantage points within the high rise itself. The Injustice Rogues held the northern end of the block, along the riverside drive along the Hudson River. And the Injustice Titans held the southern end of the block.

Condor used his talons to good effect and was climbing the high rise's outer wall. Nyssa fired for effect. She punctured his nerve pressure points in his arms and shoulders. Finding himself unable to proceed or retreat, he wondered what she intended for him next. Nyssa put an arrow in each eye at that juncture. A move which almost finished off the otherwise rapidly healing Condor.

He kicked away from the building and tore his hands free from their grip. Plummeting onto his backside, he anxiously awaited enduring whatever Nyssa intended for him until he could recover enough to pull the arrow shafts out of his eyes and begin to restore his vision. Nyssa knew with certainty he'd make a full recovery but his confidence was shaken. And that would buy her and her Injusticers the time they required.

* * *

David Cain emerged from the high rise and was intercepted by Osprey. Cain appreciated his chosen opponent. Almost as powerful as Kestrel yet twice as dumb. Condor was the real threat and everyone else was a pale imitation next to him. But Nyssa had personally selected Condor too apply a lesson to. Cain had been given random choice of Kestrel or Osprey.

He looked forward to applying his own lesson to the Chaos Avatar. Wielding a pair of nunchucks among other weapons, Cain proceeded to beat Osprey senseless. He knew that Osprey had the same vaunted healing factor as the other Avatars but he struck and broke bones so swiftly Osprey never fully recovered before being crippled again. The lesson to be learned by the exercise was whether or not the Avatar's healing factor could be overwhelmed.

* * *

White Canary leapt out of the third story window and hammered Swan in the face with her descending kick. White Canary's landing was as light and gentle as a bird's she spun to face the recuperating Swan. White Canary carried a staff tripped with a knife and a sword strapped across her back.

At range, she began to slice Swan apart. Her application was different than Cain's. Swan had a vocal ability akin to the Black Canary's former might and that was still possessed by Silver Swan. So White Canary's first target was ripping out Swan' throat. And as she cut away and delivered brutal physical attacks with her own body, she always return to cutting out Swan's throat as it began to marginally heal.

But Rachel Phelps had been Condor's disciple before being chosen by the Lords of Chaos to become Swan. And now she was his lover as well as his acolyte. Which meant her penchant for whips and chains served her well.

But like Dawn Granger, before Dawn had become Dove, Rachel had been an underground cage fighter before becoming Swan. So she would rally and challenge White Canary. But White Canary repeatedly beat her down. Only the Avatar's healing factor even kept her alive as her guts were spilled open.

* * *

Merlyn was of two minds about facing Giganta. His son Malcolm, also known as Dark Archer, was still recuperating from Starling's brutal "interrogation" and Merlyn wanted revenge. And Nyssa didn't seem inclined to let him get it. So he was interested in shopping around for better offers.

Syonide just wanted to do what she did best. Which was kill people for an ungodly amount of money. Nyssa bought Syonide's loyalty, plain and simple.

Giganta was undoubtedly the girliest opponent Syonide had ever faced. And the first one that was five stories tall. Giganta seemed as reluctant as the two Injusticers.

"We don't have to fight, guys," Giganta promised them, "You could join us. We have two different Justice Leagues on our side and we're seriously taking over the world this time."

"Which Justice Leagues?" Merlyn asked.

"Um…the JLU and the JLI," Giganta answered.

"What about the JLA?" Merlyn's voice sharpened.

"Oh, we're not letting them join up. We're just killing them," Giganta said pleasantly.

"I'm all in," Merlyn decided.

"You can't be serious," Syonide protested, "Nyssa isn't going to just let you walk away."

"Tell that to Cassandra Cain," Merlyn countered.

"Uh…the whole reason we're here to is to kill Nyssa al Ghul," Giganta explained.

"I'm totally fine with that," Merlyn declared.

"Are you insane?" Syonide yelped, "She's an al Ghul."

"I've bled enough for the al Ghul's," Merlyn vowed, "It's time I get some back for myself."

"Nyssa won't stand for it," Syonide's hand drifted towards her whip hanging from her hip.

Merlyn drew, nocked, and drew back an arrow before Syonide could react, "Don't make me kill you to prove a point."

"Have you lost your mind?" Syonide raged.

"No, I think I've finally come to my senses," Merlyn replied.

Giganta just grinned away.

* * *

"Drop and worship me," White Lightning commanded Kestrel. The fact Kestrel had chosen a male host was the only reason the Avatar himself was vulnerable to White Lightning's hypnotic powers. Women were immune to her ability.

So while the human male Kestrel rode upon desperately sought to obey White Lightning, Kestrel itself fought the compulsion. The dichotomy between the two impulses finally tore the gestalt apart and Kestrel's essence was reduced to seeking out a new host and Ned Flippenbaker found himself White Lightning's willing servant. She decided she'd been missing out having been deprived of willing sycophants over the last two weeks.

* * *

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Captain Cold had to wonder.

Lady Flash wore her customary Flash uniform with a leather bomber jacket atop it. Except she'd added a single lens pair of goggles to the eye portion of the costume reminiscent of Jessie Quick's uniform. And like Jessie, Lady Flash let her wild mane of hair flow to her shoulders.

"I am Ivanka Christina Borodin Molotova," she explained, "But you can call me Lady Flash."

"Riiight," Captain Cold took aim with his cryoblaster.

And suddenly Lady Flash was behind him, "We do not need to fight. Even in Russia we have heard of the infamous Captain Cold. It is being my pleasure to finally meet you. I am certain my new leader can make an accommodation between us Injusticers and your Rogues."

"I'm in an accommodation right now. And these people scare me shitless. Which I don't like," Captain Cold admitted, "But I don't see how betraying them brings me any closer to independence."

"You understand, if we are not being friends then I have to fight you," Lady Flash warned him.

"Sister, I've fought the real Flash to a standstill," Captain Cold told her.

"Ah yes, but the Flash respects human life and dignity," Lady Flash said philosophically, "But I don't."

"Damn Russkie," Captain Cold snarled as he spun to face her.

And then Lady Flash attacked him from a dozen different directions almost at once.

* * *

"Don't waste my time here, Rory," Wrath warned Heat Wave.

"Do I know you?" Heat Wave asked.

"Highly unlikely but you're Mick Rory, commonly known as Heat Wave. Your chosen enmity is with the Flash. The object of my wrath is Batman and every law enforcement officer on the planet," Wrath introduced himself, "So why are we here today?"

"We're supposed to kill your boss," Heat Wave answered forthrightly.

"And you're copacetic with that?" Wrath asked.

"What's it to you?" Heat Wave wondered.

"The lady just pulled me out of Blackgate where I was going on trial facing four hundred and thirty-five to life," Wrath explained, "My arms company may be bankrupt now but I was able to gather enough equipment for me to finish my life's work. So do you really think, with my feeling so grateful, that I'm going to allow you to simply kill Nyssa al Ghul? You do the math on this one."

Wrath dropped a hockey puck shaped device and a red light blinked several times and then went out, "Now, try using that pop gun of yours."

"Your funeral but you know how it is," Heat Wave aimed his thermal blaster and pulled the trigger. The gun fizzled and then died.

"Do I ever," Wrath detached his rifle from his back and aimed between Heat Wave's eyes, "Care to come to the negotiating table now?"

"What the…?" Heat Wave was astounded.

"It's a localized EMP, Mick. Now, to business. Do you want to discuss healthy alternatives for the Rogues or do you just want to be put out of your misery now?" Wrath asked.

"You've got my undivided attention," Heat Wave admitted.

* * *

Blacksmith had transmuted a half dozen passerby's into organic steel and now controlled them. They surrounded Mirror Master. He gave them all a dismal look.

"It's you against my half dozen," Blacksmith boasted, "Care to place a wager on your odds?"

"You were married to Goldface when he ran the logistics operation in Central City," Mirror Master recalled.

"Actually that little operation was my brainchild," Blacksmith shared, "He was the name to get clients interested. Then he died in outer space when Darkseid blew up the Secret Society. I formally took over the business then and we enjoyed rapid expansion. In fact you and the Rogues still owe me a number of favors. Care to settle up?"

"You don't disappoint the guy in charge of this outing," Mirror Master advised her, "How would you like to work with us instead?""

"You weren't saying that a year ago," Blacksmith reminded him.

"Look, all we want is the al Ghul woman. Afterwards, you can set yourself up nicely with our allies," Mirror Master counter offered.

"You sure they're still allies and not masters?" Blacksmith retorted, "Because three people step out of the future and suddenly they're treated like little tin gods. You want to scrape and bow for the rest of your life?"

Mirror Master mulled over the possibilities. And none of them looked good. Blacksmith smiled.

"How would you like to work for the real Rogues from the Gem Cities?" she inquired.

Mirror Master actually began considering it.

* * *

"Ain't you a looker?" Girder mocked Blockbuster.

Rachel Sands knew she was unrecognizable now but what did her looks have to do with a fight? She snarled her reply. Girder laughed.

"Was that pillow talk, sugar mouth?" he goaded her on.

Blockbuster charged and rammed him through a building. Girder's unexpected left cross bowled her over. He was first on his feet and kicked her in the face. As she grew more enraged, her chemically altered adrenal glands began pumping even harder. So in effect, the angrier she got the stronger she became. Her responding punch dented Girder's face.

He felt the indentation and wore a cocky grin, "Aw, was it something I said?"

Instead of offering flowers as an apology, Girder uprooted a tree and swatted her into the river with it. Her incredibly dense muscle mass made it virtually impossible for Rachel to float. Girder watched as the last bubbles surface after she sank under the river's surface.

* * *

"You know, on my Earth the Golden Glider is a member of our Justice Battalion," Plunder told Lisa Snart, "She and I have danced around for years. I never thought that would happen here."

"Oh really?" Golden Glider sneered.

"Why are you even here?" Plunder asked her, "Because Luthor sees Nyssa as a resource."

"There are three new people…" Golden Glider began to explain.

"From the future here to conquer the world," Plunder finished for her, "Old news, Snart."

"If you have the answers already why are you asking the damn questions?" Golden Glider angrily vented her spleen.

"Because I know Roscoe's power is killing him. You've seen specialists and there's nothing they can do," Plunder explained, "I can."

"Bullshit!" Golden Glider retorted.

"The Top died the same way back on Earth-22. The Justice Battalion's medical specialists developed a cure _after_ he died," Plunder explained, "My Golden Glider was so desperate to try and retrieve the spirit of her lover she became a living ghost. She's a phantom that can't even die. I don't want that to happen to you. Not when I can provide Roscoe with a cure."

"What do you want?" Golden Glider sullenly asked.

"I haven't asked for anything," Plunder replied.

"But you will," Golden Glider fully realized, "And when you do, my answer will be 'yes'."

"Then let's get the Top and get to Central City," Plunder offered, "I have a means home there but only there."

"You call off your dog and I'll collect Roscoe," Golden Glider offered.

"Fair enough," Plunder consented.

* * *

Murmur found himself pinned against the wall by the Top's cyclonic spin. But Murmur knew about the Top's condition. As a former surgeon he recognized the strain the Top felt even before he started spinning. So now he was just waiting the man out.

But Golden Glider called the Top off and the strain was so blatantly obvious any layman could see it. Plunder spoke softly into Murmur's mutilated ear. He nodded his approval. Plunder had been planning this trip for weeks now. The benefits it would derive would give Murmur even more ample opportunities to murder innocents. He could hardly wait.

* * *

Magenta threw all manner of metal object sat the Trickster. But he evaded them all with his uncanny agility and the liberal use of his airwalker shoes. All the while, he threw practical joke items at her. The damn itching powder alone was driving her into homicidal distraction.

And the sneezing powder was crippling her defensive posture. Between those two alone, Magenta was so beleaguered that Trickster had nearly unlimited access to her. Finally she couldn't take it anymore.

"Enough already!" she yelled at him.

"Just one more little trick," Trickster pleaded, "You'll like it. I swear."

He pulled out a yo-yo and started doing classic tricks with it. And then he attempted the "walk your dog" and the yo-yo detonated. As a shaped unidirectional charge, the entire concussive wave from the grenade blew Magenta off of her feet.

Trickster donned a surgical cap and mask and fished a scalpel out of his bag of tricks, "I always wanted to play doctor with a beautiful patient."

* * *

"I'm gonna toast you, sister," Volcana threatened Silver Sorceress, "But you finally ditched that lame-ass headgear so you can die with some kind of dignity at least."

"I don't see how you can dare impugn my dignity when you comport yourself like a prostitute," Silver Sorceress retorted.

"You just called me a whore," Volcana was impressed, "And I always thought you were just a stuck up prissy, goody goody."

"Are you going to bore me to death or actually fight me?" Silver Sorceress asked.

Flames engulfed the Silver Sorceress and Volcana exulted in that fact, "Hah! Don't bring it unless you can back it up."

The flames swirled into Silver Sorceress' hand. Then they froze over. Lifting her hand to her lips, she blew and an Arctic storm blew over Volcana. The pyrokinetic generated flames just to stay warm enough to stay alive.

"Now that we've dispensed with the preliminaries, let's get to it, shall we?" Silver Sorceress wore a triumphant smile.

* * *

"Haven't I already killed you once before?" Sparrow Hawk asked Blue Jay.

"A different encounter altogether, Danya," Blue jay assured her, "And you failed as miserably then as you will now."

"Really?" Sparrow Hawk didn't bother to conceal her sarcasm. She threw a backhanded toss and her Nth metal sword impaled Blue Jay's chest, "Because I see things turning out my way once again."

* * *

Shrapnel "detonated" the metal fragments that made up his body. Inertial simply dodged them altogether and Sun Girl melted down those hurtling towards her. Afterwards, Inertia gathered pieces struggling to return to a collected whole and Sun Girl slagged them.

Eventually Shrapnel recomposed his head and he protested, "Hey! That's not fair!"

* * *

"And who might you be?" Black Spider asked.

"I'm called Joker's Daughter," Duela Dent answered.

"I never knew the Joker had a daughter," Black Spider confessed.

"He didn't," she admitted, "But he should have been my father rather than Two-Face."

"I see," Black Spider thought he did now, "You're the one assembling the Jokerz gang."

"That'd be me," Joker's Daughter boasted.

"Too bad. You just gave me a reason to kill you," Black Spider confessed.

* * *

Pied Piper played his flute but the hypnotic tune only seemed to annoy Enigma. He was embarrassed, "This has never happened to me before."

Enigma smirked, "Something every guy says eventually. But I understand I'm not even remotely the right gender to be your type. So maybe it's a lack of motivation. Keep playing. Maybe you'll get lucky."

Pied Piper scowled and played with even greater intensity. Enigma slowly encroached on him as he did so. She thrust the question mark end of her staff into him and he was jolted flat onto his back.

"Just so you understand, I'm partially tone deaf. So I can't even really hear your playing. Better luck next time," Enigma tossed him a jaunty salute.

* * *

Darkwing was beating Risk and Kid Crusader hands down. Of course, both Injustice Titans were still recuperating from recent wounds but pairing them together had been seen as a solution to that. No one had considered they'd face a foe as deadly as Darkwing.

Despite growing up as an apprentice demon hunter, Kid Crusader was the first to be killed. Darkwing threw two knives into his throat and Kid Crusader naturally pulled them out and bled to death. Risk proved to be more of a challenge.

But when Kid Crusader died, Risk boldly gambled with a headlong rush at Darkwing. Darkwing trigged the blade hidden up his forearm and it extended forth and Darkwing plunged into Risk's eye and further into the boy's brain.

Plucking both of the hatchets off of his back, Darkwing severed the boy's aorta with one and his carotid artery with the other. There was no coming back from that.

* * *

Lightning Lord met with the Court of Owls with Ultraman providing him with added security. Most of the Owls were represented from international nests by video screen. The remaining Court at Gotham was led by the Owl Matron. The Matron bid him welcome.

"Matron, I represent a coalition of forces gathered together to establish a world order. A world order that you can be a part of," Lightning Lord established the basic facts, "The head of this order has been chosen but several fiefdoms remain to be secured. Now is the time to act if you're to secure your place in the world."

"And who is to say we require your permission to do so?" the Matron asked acerbically.

Lacking Talons, the Owls were relying on specially chosen mercenaries. Four of them threatened Lightning Lord. He seared the flesh from their bones with his electrical powers. The he was encroached on all sides. So he discharged in every direction and killed them all the same.

"I'd say our help would be invaluable in securing a lasting position in world affairs," Lightning Lord dryly remarked, "Know this, if you do not come to terms with us, you will be considered a rogue element to be hunted down and exterminated."

Lightning Lord and Ultraman dismissed themselves at that point.

* * *

Although sporting mild to severe burns, Wildcat wouldn't relent on the pressure he was applying to El Diablo. He beat El Diablo to the point he couldn't coherently use his newfound powers. So he just blindly lashed out. As Wildcat's body burned, El Diablo sought to escape.

For the first time, El Diablo utterly reveled in the homicidal use of his newly acquired power. And he cheered on inwardly as Wildcat died. But he didn't stay around long enough to witness Wildcat use the fourth life of his Nine Lives' charm.

* * *

Signalman plucked Dr. Mid-Nite's mask off while he was still "blinded." Then his emitters burned out and Signalman withdrew. Dr. Mid-Note used his spare specially darkened glasses to see after the infrared and ultraviolet "jamming" finished. He found his discarded mask and traded it for his glasses. It was at that moment he witnessed Ted Grant's death…again.

* * *

Multiplex made a thousand copies of himself and overwhelmed the out of control twisters with sheer mass. The he dissolved most of them, leaving a dozen to back him up as he sought an exit. Cyclone and King Chimera were left wondering just what had happened.

* * *

As sheer luck would have it, Psi and Lightning awoke at the same time. Psi held up her hands, "Peace. I think you've got bigger problems than me."

Lightning followed her gaze and watched Wildcat get incinerated. Lightning sprinted for his position screaming, "Nooo!"

"Whatdoyaknow?" Psi mused as she rejoined her teammates.

* * *

Vibe shattered the debris burying him. Seeing Power Ring was already rejoining the other Crime Syndicate members, he dusted off and took a moment to catch his breath. He knew the day's fight wasn't over quite yet.

* * *

King Shark finally relented and tossed Shining Knight aside. Then he sniffed the air. Rushing to a nearby retaining wall, he began digging until water flowed from it. Pushing his way through, he dove out into the underground river where it met the Hudson. Seeing water flow more and more steadily as the embankment reinforcing the cavern wall gave way, Sir Justin scooped up his fallen sword and scrambled to get his teammates out of the cavern before it completely flooded.

* * *

Water hit Atomica and she woke and got to her knees, "What the hell?"

She looked around, "Of shit."

Scrambling to meet Superwoman, she saw Artemis had taken considerably more damage than she ever had except against Mary Marvel when she was stabbed in the chest, "We need to leave. Now!"

"Don't nag. Just help," Superwoman grated.

Emerald constructs smashed Hawk and Dove away and Power Ring made her presence known, "We need to get out of here."

Superwoman saw the rising water, "Punch us an access way into that foundation. Then bring everything you can to block it behind us."

"You got it!" Power Ring said easily. Jessica's sense of survival coincided with the Ring of Volthoom so they were cooperating.

* * *

The All Stars relied on Vibe to shatter the barricades into small enough pieces to muscle through. But the sub-basement was completely filling up with water before they made it. It took them much longer to eventually reach the street level. And what they found surprised them all.

* * *

Nyssa pierced Condor's eyes again to slow him down. Then she penetrated both of hands so he couldn't get a grip to remove the offending shafts. And this time rather than place three arrows in his chest, she surgically hit his heart three separate times. When Condor finally recovered enough to pursue his vengeance against Nyssa again, she was long gone.

* * *

Cain had finally broken Osprey to the point he wouldn't heal fast enough to dare threaten the Injusticers again before they withdrew. And Nyssa gave him the prearranged signal, so Cain began spreading the word.

* * *

White Canary slid her sword through Swan's heart before the Avatar could recover her voice. Dropping Swan to her knees, White Canary slit Swan's throat one final time as Cain ordered her withdrawal.

* * *

"Merlyn, don't do this," Syonide pleaded with him.

He'd fired his arrow into her shoulder, "Now you can tell them you tried to stop me. Cain wants your attention. You'd best be leaving now."

Giganta didn't realize the Injusticers were leaving until they were already gone, "Ooh, I'm gonna get it."

* * *

White Lightning arranged for her boy toy to perform a simple task after she left. Then she giddily complied with Cain's summons after getting off. Pushing her willing servant's face out of her crotch, she pulled up her pants and hurried to join the rest of the Injustice League.

* * *

Lady Flash broke off and disappeared as rapidly as she'd begin her attack. Captain Cold was still slightly dazed as Heat Wave and Mirror Master approached him, "What's going on guys?"

"Len, we need to talk. Just not here," Heat Wave insisted.

"Have you seen Lisa and Roscoe?" Captain Cold asked.

"They left with an Injusticer called Plunder. He'd from Earth-22 and says the people on his world can cure Roscoe. So of course Lisa jumped at it," Mirror Master told him.

"Why would complete strangers from another Earth cure the Top?" Captain Cold was incredulous.

"Because on that Earth, Lisa and Roscoe were heroes. They were even members of something called the Justice Battalion. Sound familiar?" Mirror Master answered, "Just like our version of Plunder is a Central City cop."

"And that's just the tip of a very large iceberg," Heat Wave said.

Wrath watched this from a distance and took his cue from Cain's summons.

* * *

Blacksmith spotted Cain signaling the Injustice League and she began to recall her own unit. She dispatched her six organic steel slaves to pull her Rogues out of harm's way. Girder hadn't spotted Blockbuster rise out of the water and was unprepared for her to shove him into the river where his metal body sank. Two of Blacksmith's slaves distracted Blockbuster while help was sought.

* * *

Murmur held a knife to Trickster's throat. A raspy garbled giggle came from his tongueless mouth. The lone slave sent after Magenta pulled Murmur off of the Trickster. Trickster withdrew while the slave tended to Magenta before Murmur could scramble back to kill him.

The slave revived Magenta and brought her to the river before joining in fighting Blockbuster. Magenta could sense Girder's bulk so she magnetically lifted him out of the water. Murmur attacked Blockbuster while Girder got ready to engage her again.

Magenta wrapped a lamppost around Blockbuster and Girder's right cross dazed her momentarily. Blacksmith gathered her force and retreated to the rendezvous site.

* * *

One of Blacksmith's slaves knocked out the freezing Volcana. Silver Sorceress was testy, "I was getting to that."

Then she was led to Blue Jay's location. Sparrow Hawk had pulled her sword out of him. Silver Sorceress was irate.

"What is it with you and sharp objects?" she demanded to know.

"If you don't like it, go back to that nuclear cinder of a world of yours," Sparrow Hawk challenged her.

"Ah, ah, no knives," Magenta reached with her power to pluck Sparrow Hawk's sword away.

Nothing happened. Sparrow Hawk couldn't resist the opportunity to comment, "Nth metal is nonmagnetic. Sort of like your personality."

Silver Sorceress didn't know Danya Helstrom very well but she knew enough to realize humor wasn't the Thanagarian's forte. While she healed Blue Jay, Silver Sorceress watched as Girder, Magenta, Murmur, and Blacksmith and Blacksmith's slaves all surrounded Sparrow Hawk. Even a demented personality like hers saw retreat as a better option than fighting.

"Gather around," Silver Sorceress instructed her companions, "I'll be grabbing up three sites so the transition is going to be a rough one."

* * *

Black Spider saw that Joker's Daughter actually had promise. If she could be persuaded to join the proper side, she and her Jokerz could prove useful after all. He was about to question her opinions on key matters when the unexpected occurred.

Enigma jolted Black Spider's back. Then she and Joker's Daughter scrambled to gather the rest of the Injustice Titans in time to catch a ride out of Gotham.

* * *

Inertia rushed Sun Girl to the desired location to find Kid Crusader and Risk already dead. Enigma and Joker's Daughter were just arriving as well. Darkwing fought well but the enraged teens were out for vengeance. Darkwing rallied to find the Injustice Titans had vanished. Even Risk and Kid Crusader.

* * *

Comparing notes before Lightning Lord arrived, they deduced that all of the Injusticers had moved to prearranged areas and been teleported away. Only Merlyn remained behind. Lightning Lord was livid.

"They all escaped?" he shouted at the gathered force. Superwoman and her team's arrival didn't help his mood any.

"Well, the archer joined our side," Giganta put in helpfully.

"We'll see about that," Lightning Lord grated.

"One of Nyssa's followers was missing today," Condor put in, "The Amazon named Aresia was absent. She obviously went ahead to prepare for their arrival. Knowing facts about her could indicate where they went to."

"Fine, you and yours track them and alert us when you have them," Lightning Lord turned on Merlyn, "And you had best be telling me the truth when you say you don't know where they've gone."

"They were headed to Metropolis," Merlyn revealed, "But it was a way station en route to the ultimate destination. Nyssa only shared that with her unit commanders. But I know they were surprised by the revelation."

"Got that?" Lightning Lord snapped at Condor.

"We'll begin our search in Metropolis," Condor wore a predatory smile.

* * *

The Hall of Justice wasn't officially being reopened for two more weeks but the staff had already moved in. Waller kept offices there and Maven returned as her aide. Sue Dibney and Hula Hula still served as the Chief and Deputy Chief of Operations. They were joined in the foyer by the Elongated Man as they met with the Injusticers.

"Director Waller, so nice to finally meet you," Nyssa said cordially.

"Despite you're shooting an arrow at me?" Waller still recalled the incident clearly. It had happened just two weeks before this official meeting.

"Time and enemies change," Nyssa shrugged.

"I heard Aresia's canned version of why you want to assist the JLA but let's hear it from the source," Waller suggested.

Nyssa knew it was actually a demand, "My motive is simple. The world is an increasingly small place. It will be made smaller yet should Darkseid gain a foothold. For five thousand years the League of Shadows has sought to keep balance in the world. By extension, the League of Assassins has enforced these plans and actions. Now, my father's digression into trying to restore a beatified version of an idyllic primeval past has only distorted the League's true mission. I'm more of a purist myself. And I see the Legion of Doom's newfound allies as the clearest threat to balance that currently exists in this time or any other."

"Ra's is dead and his plans with him," Waller argued.

"Are his plans dead?" Nyssa chided her, "Has the League of Shadows changed its ambitions at all since Talia came to power or are they more entrenched in his madness than ever before?"

"The rumors go Talia was the one to reconcile you with your father's name," Sue pointed out.

"A fact I'm grateful for. It's a terrible thing to be without a family or a legacy. I have mine now and I will see the honor and dignity of the League of Shadows restored to it as well. I will do this with or without Talia's blessing," Nyssa declared.

"Talia has thrown her support behind Luthor in these matters," Waller informed Nyssa.

"Which would be expected," Nyssa said simply.

"Luthor killed her child," Sue coldly pointed out.

"Luthor had Batman's child executed," Nyssa reminded everyone present, "That changes everything."

Waller looked over to Sue and Hula Hula. They both grimly nodded their assent. Ralph did as well when it was his turn.

"Congratulations," Waller allowed, "You're past the first hurtle. Now we discuss rules of engagement and see if you'll stick around afterwards."

"You never know, Director Waller. Stranger things have been known to change the course of history," Nyssa advised her.

Waller didn't know if that was friendly advice, a warning, or a threat.


	13. Chapter 13

31

Paris was experiencing its second day of unrestricted conflict. And like the two battles before it, the current engagement centered around the Dome. The original Dome had proudly served as the headquarters for the original Global Guardians from the late Seventies until the turn of the century.

After the Global Guardians lost their status as the Unites Nations' protection force, the Dome had been stolen by the Legion of Doom. Destroyed in Bailya, the Dome went without replacement despite the UN holding the site's property. It wasn't until the Global Guardians were reorganized as the Justice League International that a second Dome was built and now served as the epicenter of Paris' terrors.

* * *

Steve Trevor groggily awoke with a pounding headache and an aching jaw. Then he snapped into full cognizance and snatched up his Sig Saur MPX submachine gun. The MPX served as a modern update to its venerable rival, the Heckler & Koch MP5-3A. It could be chambered in 9mm, .40 caliber, or .45 caliber. Trevor and Starling both carried the .45 cal. variant. It sacrificed range for bone breaking power.

He was currently aiming the weapon at the Atom. The copious amounts of blood scattered everywhere told Trevor the Atom was wounded. It appeared someone had shot him in the side. It wasn't a killing stroke so long as the blood flow was stopped in a reasonable amount of time. What struck Trevor as odd was that the Atom was dialing a number in a mobile phone.

And then it occurred to Trevor why the Atom carried easily disposable prepaid cell phones, "Freeze! Drop the phone!"

But the phone made a connection and Atom shrank into it to ride the radio signal to the receiver's location. Trevor quickly disconnected the call and hoped he hadn't just doomed a JLer to a horrid death somewhere. At that point, Atom had probably already reached a satellite acting as a relay. He had no means of determining of whether or not Atom ever arrived at his destination. And he wouldn't until Atom popped up on the grid again.

Trevor used smelling salts to revive Starling. She came awake throwing a punch at him. He turned it against her, "Eve, it's me, Steve."

"Sorry. Did we get him?" Starling's head pounded away.

"Someone got him," Trevor pointed at the blood covering the pavement.

"Where's Bat-Girl?" Starling asked a little desperately.

"On your other side," Trevor shifted position so they were to either side of Bat-Girl.

"Come on, Lizzie. Wake up," Starling popped the smelling salts beneath Elizabeth Kane's nose and she jolted awake throwing punches at both of them.

Trevor and Starling caught her arms and braced her. Starling leaned her head onto Bat-Girl's shoulder, "It's okay, babe. I've got you."

Suddenly a massive roar of frustration lifted across the boulevard. They all turned and saw the Martian Manhunter battling Deathstroke. And the Martian wasn't pleased with the results thus far.

* * *

J'onn Jonzz had intercepted Deathstroke after Slade Wilson had shot the Atom to spare Trevor, Starling, and Bat-Girl's lives. J'onn had attempted to use his telepathic skills to disable Deathstroke. But Slade was more than happy that J'onn discovered it would take a greater mind than his to manipulate Deathstroke's thoughts.

So J'onn had tried to simply overpower Slade. Deathstroke was inhumanly strong but the Martian's strength was still far greater than his own. But Deathstroke was a master of unarmed fighting techniques from across the globe. So J'onn took the brunt of the punishment.

Finally, Martian Manhunter resorted to using his native shape shifting powers. Deathstroke unsheathed his sword at that point and went about crippling J'onn. None of his strikes were lethal but they were intended to hamper J'onn's ability to alter himself or to fight decently.

The Titan's contract with ARGUS prohibited them from killing a JLer without official sanction. On this field, the only ARGUS agent capable of authorizing such a termination was Col. Trevor. And Trevor had already informed Deathstroke that terminations were a last resort on this operation.

But the same compulsion driving J'onn to attack members of other Justice Leagues in service to the Legion of Doom was also pushing him to neutralize Deathstroke even at the cost of his own life. So Deathstroke, forewarned about who his potential targets would be, carried two specialized grenades for this eventuality.

He pulled the first cylindrical grenade from his belt, thereby automatically pulling the pin. Slade threw it to one side of the Martian Manhunter. The chemical explosive within it detonated and phosphorous spilled out of it. Certain elements burned on contact with oxygen but phosphorous was fairly unique in that it consumed any available oxygen, even that bound to two atoms of hydrogen. J'onn began to retreat and Deathstroke hemmed him in with the second phosphorous grenade.

The only retreat was straight away from Deathstroke and the only other viable option was to come straight at him, which would cost him his life weakened as he was by the burning phosphorous. J'onn wisely retreated.

But Saturn Queen stepped in at this juncture, "I should have known I'd have to personally deal with you."

"You can try," Deathstroke calmly told her.

After several second spent in silence, Saturn Queen snarled, "I can't affect you!"

"My entire life is dedicated to control. That includes my own body and mind," Deathstroke advised her, "To defeat me, you'll have to break both. And I don't think you can."

Trevor and Starling opened fire at Saturn Queen with their submachine guns. Bat-Girl was wearing a sidearm and she started shooting at Saturn Queen with her pistol. Saturn Queen quickly ascended above their weapons' effective ranges. Then she summoned Superman.

* * *

Superman swooped in on Deathstroke and promptly face planted into the blacktop. The JLers stared in transfixed horror. Deathstroke revealed he had a shard of kryptonite sharpened into a knife. He plunged it into Superman's ribs and snapped off the tip. Superman's backhand jolted Deathstroke into a tuck and roll before he came up onto his feet.

Superman wobbly joined Saturn Queen and they flew to the very edge of the police perimeter. And there she summoned the Justice Leagues under her control to return to her.

"You three with me," Deathstroke ordered the JLers as he tossed transponders to each of them.

"What's going on, Slade?" Trevor grated.

"You have wounded that require immediate medical evacs," Deathstroke informed them.

* * *

Deathstroke brought Trevor to Power Girl while Starling assisted Teth-Adam and Bat-Girl inspected Adrianna Tomaz's injuries. For the Black Marvels, it was easy to diagnose. Each of their legs had compound fractures and bones were jutting out of their flesh. Further injuries had probably also been sustained from the falls they'd endured.

"Can't you just…y'know?" Starling asked Teth-Adam.

"The same compulsion that forced me to say the wizard's accursed name also prohibits me from saying it now," Teth-Adam fumed through the tremendous pain, "How is Adrianna?"

"She looks the same as you. Bat-Girl is tending to her as we speak," Starling assured him.

Bat-Girl found Adrianna's condition, and the root cause of it, to be identical. But it was difficult to follow Adriana's patchwork English and Bat-Girl didn't speak Egyptian. But she dutifully clipped the transponder to Adriana's blouse.

"God, what could have done this to Galatea?" Trevor's triage efforts indicated Power Girl was catatonic.

"That redhead only pretends to be a goddess," Deathstroke advised him, "Now stand clear."

Trevor ordered the others to stay clear of the patients while Deathstroke contacted Gwen Cormaugh, "Agent Cormaugh, Slade Wilson here. We require an immediate medical evacuation of key personnel. Have the ARGUS facility you route them to prepare to cope with severe physical and psychological trauma."

" _Understood, we have a standing arrangement with ARGUS for these eventualities,"_ Gwen informed him, _"That's why they rely on our teleporter network while their range is being extended. Our systems have locked on to your transponders and network control says we'll have them in three…two…one."_

Blue flashes snatched the wounded away. Deathstroke reported, "We have three clean teleports."

" _ARGUS reports the same,"_ Gwen informed him, _"Director Waller is standing by for an update."_

"I'll get Trevor on the line," Deathstroke deferred to the field commander.

" _Negative, Waller wants an update concerning the…other…matter at hand,"_ Gwen told him.

"Tell her I'll get back to her when I know something," Deathstroke replied.

" _Copy that,"_ Gwen was pure professionalism. Which Slade thought appropriate because Agent Gwen Cormaugh of the International Security Agency had once been a Special Agent Cormaugh in ARGUS' Black Razor Corps. Waller had arranged for Gwen's transfer to the ISA.

"Colonel, what do we do about Green Lantern?" Bat-Girl wondered as she and Starling inspected John Stewart's fallen form.

"Tag him and send him on to base," Trevor ordered.

For a prisoner transfer, ARGUS was willing to trust the edge of their teleporter capabilities. Green Lantern disappeared in a red flash while Trevor gave ARGUS' unit at Belle Reeve special instructions. Afterwards, Trevor noted Deathstroke was observing the captive Justices Leagues' ongoing withdrawal.

"We could attempt several captures," Trevor thought out loud.

"They're already missing several people," Deathstroke stated, "I'd say capturing JLers has already been accomplished. But the real fight is across town. This is just one long laborious distraction."

Trevor thought about and recalled the Titans had been short one member. The Italian woman called Cinder hadn't reported in at the Dome, "Where's Cinder, Slade?"

"Very good, Colonel," Slade chuckled, "Cinder is acting on our best interests as is the backup agent I sent to join her. But one of your own is moving against them. It'll be fascinating to see who wins this round. It could literally cost us the war if my people fail."

"I assume you're talking about the scientist you referenced earlier," Trevor guessed, "You advocated killing them."

"An option," Deathstroke conceded, "But Waller had already dictated the course I would pursue prior to my arrival. So if you want the scientist dead or alive, you have to take it up with her since it was her call to capture and exploit the person's technology."

"Does this mysterious person have a name?" Trevor dryly asked.

"She does," Slade admitted, "And you even know it."

After Deathstroke revealed the identity, Trevor's jaw could've easily hit the ground, "Sonuvabitch."

"But it makes sense, doesn't it?" Deathstroke asked without a trace of irony.

* * *

Nightshade and Black Orchid came to assist Question and Huntress escape their bonds. Mr. Miracle was still on station and attempted to subdue the reinforcements. Black Orchid listed a litany of complaints while Mr. Miracle evaded her at every turn.

Nightshade sucked the stun grenades that Mr. Miracle threw into the Night Force. Then she infused nearby shadows with Night Force dwellers and they came alive and hunted Mr. Miracle. All of his New God technology proved useless against the shadow spawn.

"Pits of Apokolips!" Scott Free cried out as the shadow spawn yanked his hover discs out from underneath him. Opening a boom tube, he transited directly to OmniTech headquarters in Los Angeles without the other JLers.

"Okay, I should feel bad that he got away but I really don't," Black Orchid commiserated.

"Don't feel bad. It isn't worth it," Nightshade unclasped Huntress' bonds. Black Orchid released the Question.

More JLers fled past them to meet up with Saturn Queen. Black Orchid pointed at them, "Should we be doing something about that?"

"I've tossed enough people in the Night Force. I'm through with it," Nightshade complained, "I'm only risking so many people's sanity as it is."

"Does Trevor know about that?" Huntress wondered.

"Intimately," Nightshade promised her.

"Curioser and curioser," Question mused.

* * *

"For shame," Goldilocks chided Man-of-Bats and Raven Red as they loomed over the fallen Animal Man and Crimson Fox.

Raven Red attempted to charge at Goldilocks but her hair snared his feet and hands and he face planted. Man-of-Bats was aware of Goldilocks' abilities from his training sessions with her sister, Godiva. So rather than directly confront her, he threw an incendiary device at the garden grounds they stood upon. The device sprayed gasoline before detonating to ignite it.

Despite recent rains, the gardens blazed like a tinder box. Man-of-Bats and Raven Red received Saturn Queen's summons and withdrew while Goldilocks lifted Animal Man and Crimson Fox out of harm's way. Afterwards, she wondered why they hadn't attacked her while she was distracted. It was lost, golden opportunity.

And, while the Dome was safe against the fire, the gardens were a total loss. Goldilocks summed it up in one sentiment, "Bloody hell."

* * *

Silver Swan witnessed the transformation in the recovering Sandstorm and Tundra when Saturn Queen recalled them. They each used their powers to keep Silver Swan at a distance. They didn't yet realize that she could have struck them down with her swan song even at that distance but she held back. She wanted to learn what was so important that it drove her foes from battle. And she soon discovered she wasn't alone in wondering this.

* * *

Enchantress sensed Saturn Queen's summons but it wasn't until the street began rising and cracking as it did so that she realized that Seraph had been awakened. Using the fabled strength of Samson, he pushed the street levels off of him from where he'd been trapped in the sewers. And then, rather than confront Enchantress again, he departed. Fleeing back to his new queen.

Enchantress chose to let him go. He wasn't creating any mischief by retreating and her instructions hadn't covered the mere possibility of the JLU or JLI evacuating. So she decided to hang tight and see what would happen next.

* * *

Spread across the Dome's exterior, the Titans had wounded several JLI team members. Their wounds were severe enough to prevent them from rejoining their teammates. So, in effect, Cheshire, Arsenal, and Gunslinger had captured Fleur-de-Lis, Freedom Beast, Centrix, Jet, Manticore, El Gaucho, and Mr. Unknown.

In juxtaposition, no one even observed Tasmanian Devil escape while still wearing his smart metal bonds. Nor did anyone witness Hood, Wingman, Fire, Ice, Cascade, Maxi-Man, and Nightrunner's exit. But others awoke with surprising results.

* * *

Black Bat waved off Katana and Batwoman's concerns, "I know you probably don't believe me but I'm free of Saturn Queen's control."

"And would you even be aware of it if you were?" Katana asked the natural question.

"Seeing how her voice in my head awoke me and ordered me to rejoin her and I'm able to resist that compulsion I'd have to say, 'yes'," Black Bat dryly observed.

"Then you can assist us with him," Katana pointed at the withdrawing Batwing with her sword.

"I'll look after Ri and Darkwing," Batwoman volunteered.

Katana swiftly had Batwing disarmed and pressed up against a wall with the SoulTaker's tip in his throat. Black Bat urged leniency, "Saturn Queen is exiting this place. Afterwards I can free Batwing in a similar fashion as I was freed."

"How so?" Katana inquired while never losing focus on Batwing.

"By forcing him to choose between taking a life or being liberated," Black Bat told her, "And the only life I will gamble with is my own."

Katana was amenable to the plan.

* * *

Starman, Goldstar, Reverb, Blue Beetle, and Echo all came awake and started to leave the Dome's periphery. Hawkman and Troia had just lifted off the ground to inspect other teammates' progress.

"Do you want to go after them?" Troia asked him.

"I think it at least behooves us to learn where they're going," Hawkman admitted.

They soon met up with Silver Swan. Troia looked around, "They're all leaving."

"And Trevor isn't doing a thing about it," Hawkman observed, "So I guess we have our marching orders."

"It would be kind of nice to take the fighting out of Paris for a change," Silver Swan said wistfully.

"Besides the numbers are completely on their side and Saturn Queen is problematic," Hawkman opined.

"How so?" Troia was curious as to why.

"Could you really go all out against a woman wearing Tessa's face?" he asked her.

"I guess not," Troia admitted sadly.

"Neither could I," Hawkman confessed, "At least not yet."

* * *

Gypsy had freed Praxis' mind but she could still see his desire to obey Saturn Queen was at least partially intact. She slapped him so hard his sunglasses flew off. He gave her a rueful look before reaffixing them on his face.

"Thank you, I think," Praxis said with his usual droll manner.

"What can I say?" Gypsy smirked with undeniable pleasure at repaying Praxis for what she'd endured in his mind.

"As little as possible, I trust," Praxis avoided outright pleading but the request was still urgent.

"I'd rather avoid the topic altogether," Gypsy confessed.

"Thank you," Praxis said gratefully.

* * *

Tattooed Man wasn't expecting Rising Sun and Dr. Light to rouse. And then they blasted away at him while he wasn't looking. Finding himself nearly insensate, Mark Richards was barely conscious enough to watch the Japanese couple depart.

* * *

Later, after everyone had gathered in the Dome following the Justice Leagues' retreat, Tuatara was screaming, "Let me go! She's summoning me! I have to go to her!"

Ri had healed the wounded JLI members and they were now in ISA custody. But Tuatara was still being thawed out as Black Canary stepped in front of him. All three of his eyes widened.

"There's no call for… _ugh_!" Tuatara fell silent as Black Canary's punch knocked him out.

Killer Frost smirked, "I think he forgot to say 'that'."

But Katana had convinced Trevor to keep Batwing incarcerated in one of the Dome's holding cells while Black Bat tested her theory. Trevor grumbled, "We might as well hold him here. It doesn't look like Killer Frost will ever see the inside of one of those cells."

Katana couldn't deny it.

* * *

"Slade, a moment of your time?" Trevor led Deathstroke into Dr. Mist's office, "All of those wounded were a direct result of your people's actions. Ri bluntly states three would have died within less than an hour's time of her treating them if she hadn't intervened."

"But she did, so what's the problem?" Deathstroke wondered.

"Dammit, Slade! You've always played fast and loose with the rules of engagement and chains of command. These people would have died," Trevor said through clenched teeth.

"Colonel, I get results no one else can. That's why people who can afford me, hire me in the first place. Trust me when I say your chain of command doesn't give a rat's ass whether or not the JLI survives this engagement. They're just one more competitor in the food chain," Deathstroke told him.

"I care," Trevor grated.

"And you're in a minority of maybe two or three in ARGUS' hierarchy," Slade warned him, "I know Dibney is on the same page as you but I can't think of anyone else save that fat Hawaiian, Hula Hula."

"Hula Hula joined ARGUS?" Trevor was startled, "When did he leave Spyral?"

"This morning, US Eastern Standard Time," Deathstroke informed him, "It's in the briefing papers Waller sent that you've ignored so far."

Trevor decided to read the briefs. When he'd finished, he contacted Sue to find out if Amanda Waller was out of her mind. And Sue had to tell him, she and Hula Hula had backed Waller's call. Trevor decided it was time to leave Paris.

* * *

Ravager had "borrowed" a Ducati street bike. The motorcycle cost more than some provincial homes. She met up with Cinder where the Italian woman was staking out Claire Connelly's apartment.

"How's our girl?" Ravager asked Cinder.

"Restless," Cinder answered, "And I can't blame her."

"Other than that?" Ravager grinned.

"She's a cherry waiting to be picked," Cinder summarized.

"Good, because we've got competition," Ravager warned Cinder, "I'll grab Connelly while you distract the Order of St. Dumas."

"Who'd they send?" Cinder wondered.

"Azrael and an unknown woman who likes fast cars and knows how to drive them," Ravager told her, "I passed them on the way here. But you can't just kill them. Azrael is working for the JLA. And we're working _with_ the JLA. But Azrael's mission isn't sanctioned so if you lightly toast him it'll be interesting to see what he'll have to say when he reports back to the JLA."

"You're always playing games," Cinder chuckled, "Which is good. I like playing them too."

"I'll signal you when I'm done," Ravager disappeared into the apartment building.

Cinder was actually looking forward to the fight. Up until now she'd gone into operations wearing clothes cut from average cloths and they always incinerated when she shifted to her plasma form. But Deathstroke had stolen a thermolytic cloth from NASA. Her plasma field would extend over the cloth but not burn up. Or so it had worked in tests back at their base. She hadn't fully tested it in combat conditions yet so this would be revealing. Possibly in more ways than one.

Cinder didn't have to wait long before a Bugati supercar raced up the middle of the road. Azrael stepped out of one side and Sister Lilhy exited the driver's side. Cinder triggered her transformation into her blazing red plasma form and both Knights paused.

"You're too late to kill Dr. Connelly," Cinder tested out English on them. The Order of St. Dumas drew members from across the globe so this pair could literally not even be able to understand one another. But English seemed to be a good neutral language most of them understood.

"Then you will lead us to them," Azrael declared, "Or die in defiance of our holy cause."

"And how do you know if I'm not a helpless woman with a threatening optical illusion?" Cinder asked.

Azrael extended his gauntlet blades and ignited them. Cinder smirked, "So you like to play with fire? Good."

Cinder projected red hot plasma at the Bugati and it's fuel tanks exploded throwing Azrael and Lilhy to either side of the car. Cinder hated wasting fine Italian workmanship but she supposed liberating it from its slave owners counted in the plus column. Besides, now they couldn't pursue her when she withdrew.

"Surely there's more to you than that?" Cinder had to wonder.

"Kill the woman!" Azrael commanded Lilhy, "I will deal with this demonness."

"Demonness? I think I like the sound of that," Cinder decided as she ignited the grounds stretching between Lilhy and the apartments.

Azrael charged at Cinder. She blazed away at him with plasma and his armor ignited. Only its interior insulation kept him alive. But the heat was stifling.

"Die, bitch!" Lilhy's accent revealed her to be French. Cinder waved at her and erected a flaming wall, trapping Lilhy between blazes. She had to march to either end of the street to circumvent either wall of flame.

Cinder's left hand displayed a flashing green light from the display built into her thermolytic glove. So she moved to her own stolen motorcycle and shifted back to being human before she strapped on her helmet prior to departure. A still smoldering Azrael marched on the complex through the flames.

* * *

Ravager went over the roof to Claire's balcony and dropped in before jimmying the sliding door. Claire entered the living room nursing a cup of tea. When she spotted Ravager, she calmly sat the tea down and asked, "Are you here to kill me?"

"Quite the opposite actually," Ravager told her, "My associate and I are fighting to keep you alive. But in order to keep you alive, you have to come with me. Now."

"Where are we going?" Claire wondered as she grabbed her jacket.

"The Dome," Ravager told her.

"Have they found Booster yet? Or Goldstar?" Claire inquired.

"I haven't a clue," Ravager admitted, "My mission is you."

"And you are…?" Claire led her with the question.

"Ravager," she saw Claire wince, "But you can call me Rose."

Ravager signaled Cinder as she and Claire exited the building to reach Rose's bike parked on the opposite block. Claire looked the bike warily, "No helmets?"

"We don't need them," Ravager handed her a pair of clear glasses, "But these will be handy."

* * *

After a hectic ride through Paris that nearly made Claire pee on every hairpin turn, they arrived at the Dome. Ravager waited outside for Cinder's arrival. Despite her impatience, Claire agreed with Ravager's motives so she waited beside her.

Finally Cinder came pulling up. Claire glared at Ravager, "She has a helmet."

"She didn't have me riding the bike," Ravager grinned at Claire.

"It'll be a while before her attackers join us here," Cinder predicted.

"They're coming here?" Claire gulped.

"One of them is a member of the Justice League," Ravager shared with her.

"Are they brainwashed like the others?" Claire was hopeful.

"Not in the least," Ravager disappointed her.

* * *

"Dr. Connelly," Trevor greeted Claire.

"Col. Trevor, it's been awhile. Not since LexCorp's symposium for ARGUS was held," Claire recalled, "Why am I here if Booster isn't?"

"Slade insisted," Trevor nodded towards Deathstroke, "He said your life was in jeopardy due to some research you've been conducting."

"My life was threatened," Claire confirmed it.

"By whom?" Trevor asked.

"By Azrael and an unknown member of the Order of St. Dumas," Ravager informed him.

Claire studied Ravager and then the helmetless Deathstroke, "You're his daughter. The eye should have given it away."

Azrael burst into the lounge with his blades extended, "The heretic must die!"

Slade and Rose already had their swords in hand. Trevor interposed himself between Azrael and Claire, "Stand down! All of you!"

"She is the instrument of our destruction," Azrael said hotly.

"Or she could be our greatest weapon," Deathstroke countered.

"Claire, could you use your chronal technology to build a device to hurl people into the future? Say a full thousand years from now?" Trevor inquired.

"That theoretical application of my equipment is a potential Booster warned me about but it would require repurposing and redesigning it to an industrial scale," Claire explained.

"Good, you just volunteered to do it," Trevor told her before he swung to point a finger at Azrael, "And I don't want to hear another damn word about it."

"What's so damn important about my research?" Claire finally had had enough.

"It's starts with Tessa Richardson," Trevor told her, "But let's talk privately."

"This is a mistake," Azrael warned Deathstroke.

"I agree to a point. No one can be allowed to follow her work," Slade said.

"Do you mean…?" Rose hesitated.

"When her work is done, you may fulfill your mission," Deathstroke promised Azrael.

"The Order can live with those terms," Azrael promised.

* * *

"Well…this is homey," Killer Frost commented on seeing Godiva's suite inside the Dome.

"It rather resembles my old Parisian apartment," Godiva admitted, "The engineers arranged for a similar square footage and layout."

"It certainly beats my piss poor room at the Hall of Doom hands down," Killer Frost said ruefully, "What's it take to get a luxury room like this?"

"I'm a senior member of the JLI and a founding member of the Global Guardians before that," Godiva shared, "But Frost…"

"Please, it's just Louise," Killer Frost reminded her.

"What are you really after here?" Godiva wondered.

"Being with you is like a dream come true but beyond that I'm not sure," Killer Frost confessed, "Even in the Legion I'm treated like a freak. But here, despite no one trusting me at all, they treat me like a normal person. It's kinda addictive."

"Trust is earned," Godiva warned her, "But basic human kindness and respect are due you simply because you are human and are alive. Aren't you?"

It took a moment for Killer Frost to realize the twinkle in Godiva's eye indicated a rhetorical question. Godiva added, "Anything above and beyond these basic allowances will be earned by your behavior and displayed trustworthiness."

Killer Frost took a seat in a stuffed chair, "Which is true of relationships of all kinds. I'm serious when I asked you out on a date. Of course, it'll have to wait until this mess is done. But I want to get to know the real you. The bits left out of the interviews. And what the hell is up between you and your sister?"

"I can start with the basics but everything else requires time…and trust," Godiva replied.

"I'm not going anywhere," Killer Frost promised.

"We'll see, won't we?" this time Godiva's question wasn't rhetorical.

* * *

Power Girl, Teth-Adam, and Adrianna Tomaz were transferred to a secure ARGUS trauma treatment center. Blackhawk was alerted and he immediately requested emergency leave to be with Galatea. The Black Marvels were looking at having to require pins and plates holding their bones together if they couldn't say their magic words to receive healing with. But Teth-Adam and Adrianna were able to at least share a room and caretakers began bringing Osiris in to visit his parents. And Ahmud Tomaz arrived as well without revealing he was now also Horus.

All of the JLA, except the missing Guy Gardner, and all of the JLD and JLI present were teleported to the Hall of Justice. Black Bat's gamble that Batwing's moral compass would break Saturn Queen's hold rather than the reverse paid off. But those JLI members held by the ISA didn't seem to have the same moral certitude. So they remained incarcerated.

Vapor was recruited to assist Sue and Ralph Dibney and Hula Hula in the operations center. Elongated Man and Vapor quickly bonded over the plight of being too severely injured to directly participate in the struggle. Killer Frost was recruited as an expert on the enemy and their intentions.

ARGUS redirected the JSA All Stars to the Hall of Justice. Sue had neglected to update Deathstroke as to the recruitment of the Injusticers. So Trevor was able to carefully observe Slade's reaction to Nyssa's intentions to ally with the JLA. Even with having served beside Slade for years, the tell was hard to spot. But Slade's reaction proved he didn't know anything about Nyssa's plans.

By that point Trevor was ready to accept nearly anyone's help. He was even warming towards Killer Frost. But Sister Lilhy's effect upon Azrael still bothered him.

Nyssa was surprised and delighted to learn about Claire's chronal research. But despite Nyssa being a hard read, Trevor could tell the al Ghul woman considered Claire to be as grave a threat to the world as the Legion. As the group leaders assembled in a briefing room, Trevor finally voiced the question on most minds.

"Where's Batman in all of this?" he had to wonder aloud.

"My sources revealed that Batman faced one of your time lost Legionnaires. And he seemed to be gravely injured afterwards. Spyral agents Dick Grayson and Plastic Man collected Batman and disappeared. Presumably to the Bat Cave given Grayson's unique knowledge of its location," Nyssa shared.

"And even ARGUS is unaware of the cave's location," Sue complained.

"I'm fully cognizant of the Bat Cave's location and its various entrances," Nyssa revealed, "Call it a family secret. And familial respect keeps me from disclosing that same secret. But I have associates who already knew Batman's hidden identity without my saying a word. So I dispatched them to the cave to determine Batman's fitness."

"The White Rabbit," Slade surmised.

"Yes, the White Rabbit is many things but she isn't a fool," Nyssa confirmed it, "She once had Batman's alter ego held captive for a number of hours. His true identity became revealed then."

Sue noted that Batman was considered the true identity in this mix, "Convenient."

"It's said you have an expert who is also from the future," Nyssa stated, "I would like to meet with her. Privately."

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Trevor replied.

"I can always parlay with Saturn Queen, Lightning Lord, and Cosmic King and come to an agreeable accommodation with them rather than the free Justice Leagues," Nyssa countered.

"You can speak with her _if_ she agrees to it," Trevor offered.

"I'm certain you can persuade her to, Colonel," Nyssa smiled.

Trevor knew from Waller's expression Nyssa had baited this trap with Amanda's blessing.

* * *

The Hall of Justice possessed one main recreation center and a dozen smaller lounges. Nyssa was shown to one of those smaller spaces while Trevor collected Goldilocks and brought her to the al Ghul. Trevor waited outside the lounge with Goldilocks.

"You don't have to do this," Trevor reminded her, "And even if you feel you do, I'll be waiting at the end of the hallway."

"I think we both realize I do have to do this," Goldilocks said sadly, "There aren't any other choices. We can't afford to lose her or her Injusticers as allies."

Goldilocks opened the door and Nyssa waited inside, "Come in. I won't bite…much."

Goldilocks looked back at Trevor, "I'll be fine."

Nyssa's own Injusticers believed to be an ascetic, devoid of any sexual desires. Goldilocks knew the opposite to be true. Nyssa was born when her homosexuality was considered a perverse deviation. Even after Ra's al Ghul came looking for Nyssa Raatko after her internment in the concentration camps, even her own father considered her being a lesbian distorted and vile.

So Nyssa had spent the decades afterwards suppressing her desires and choosing lovers with great care and relying upon their discretion. No one knew how much of her appetites were known to the League of Shadows or to her own sister, Talia. Nyssa herself knew Ra's mind was within Talia's body so "she" knew everything he ever had which included her homosexuality. And s/he had still given Nyssa the family name and the title the Demon's Hand.

But Nyssa didn't just give her heart away even in the face of a more tolerant society. Goldilocks knew these things because Lightning Lord and Cosmic King had used Goldilocks as eye candy while they raped Nyssa over and over again until she died from the injuries from it. But the duo had left the dying Nyssa with Goldilocks and Nyssa had poured her heart out to her fellow slave.

So Goldilocks knew that Nyssa would find her one true love in this struggle and that Nyssa would give her access to her rejuvenated Lazarus Pits to heal wounds sustained before the Legion's campaign began. And the nature of the Lazarus Pit would indeed restore her lover's vitality but it would make it so when Saturn Queen took over the woman's mind, the bloodlust would consume her soul and Nyssa would be forced to kill her in order to liberate her. An act which would break Nyssa.

Goldilocks witnessed as Nyssa laid her bow down on a nearby couch. Her short sword joined it as well as the combat knife she kept sheathed across the small of her back. But it amused Goldilocks to see Nyssa retaining her quiver full of arrows. Arrows which Nyssa didn't need a bow to kill her with.

"I believe you and your hair now hold the advantage," Nyssa motioned towards the card table in the center of the room.

They sat opposite each other. Goldilocks sighed, "You want to know the future. Sorry but my history has already been erased. Events have gone to shit and I'm really uncertain over what's to happen next."

"How so?" Nyssa asked.

"Power Girl wasn't supposed to be neutralized. The Black Marvels weren't supposed to be crippled. Col. Trevor is supposed to be dead and we're supposed to be led by Batman with you and Deathstroke serving as his lieutenants. The JLA was supposed to rally the survivors of the Legion's campaign against the world's super teams into a global resistance."

"Only now, Trevor lives and Batman may have died," Nyssa saw the predicament.

"Yes, the world has gone to shit again and my coming here was bloody useless," Goldilocks griped.

"Yet you managed to kill two Legionnaires on your own," Nyssa pointed out.

"I'm never living through that hell again," Goldilocks snarled.

"You won't have to," Nyssa promised, "If plans prosper then you will never afterwards. And if plans fail, I'll kill you myself so you won't have to endure the nightmare a second time. And I'll kill Godiva as well so she won't be forced to endure it either."

Goldilocks gave a grateful look but she still hesitated. Nyssa noticed, "You can feel free to speak your mind."

"Don't put Black Canary in a Lazarus Pit. You'll regret it for the rest of your life," Goldilocks warned her.

Nyssa just blinked at her and Goldilocks added, "It will be costly in the most personal terms. Far more than never healing her throat."

Nyssa stared at Goldilocks wondering how the younger woman had deduced Nyssa's admiration for Dinah Drake Lance even existed, "Please…please send Col. Trevor in here."

"Just remember what I said," Goldilocks urged as she departed.

"How could I ever forget?" Nyssa murmured as she gathered up her personal weapons again.

Trevor walked in while Nyssa was finishing up, "Did you want something?"

"I believe it's time for Director Waller's suggestion that unit and department heads gather and begin to formulate a strategy."

"Amanda and Sue are gathering technical details from Claire Connelly. Gwen Cormaugh is assisting them from the ISA's technical base," Trevor stated, "Slade is up to something. Hula Hula contacted agents Morgan and Penny and relayed Katherine Webb-Kane's amended directives. Lady Blackhawk is delivering Morgan to Spyral's headquarters beneath Hartford. Penny is holding out with the GCPD waiting for Plastic Man to reappear. Support Services has collected Plas and Penny's infant son and brought him to an ARGUS day care in Queens."

"Has Waller decided whether or not to allow Batman into our collaborative effort?" Nyssa asked.

"Amanda is a Batman groupie," Trevor divulged, "So he's a shoo-in. If he survived."

"Slade will want to bring the Teen Titans in as well," Nyssa shared.

"Slade has hardly had anything to do with the Teen Titans over the last six years," Trevor replied, "After Robin became Nightwing and resigned, the original Speedy became disenchanted and joined the Suicide Squad, our Donna Troy left Earth, Kid Flash graduated into being the Flash, and Cyborg left to eventually join the JLU. That left Beast Boy and Protector. Cyborg and Protector are dead. Speedy is now the same Arsenal working with Slade. Nightwing retired his costumed persona and we exiled Flash to a dimension called the Night Force. He won't be coming back from that trip anytime soon."

"Still, it's a special request from his daughter, Rose," Nyssa smiled.

* * *

Alfred Pennyworth opened Wayne Manor's front door in a huff, "Really! The doorbell will continue to function with or without you incessantly ringing it."

"You must be Alfred;" Jaina Hudson smiled warmly, "Bruce has said so many kind things about you."

Alfred was completely flustered, "I say, where are my manners, Miss…?"

"Hudson, Jaina Hudson," her smile grew in intensity.

"I daresay, Master Bruce seems quite smit…taken with you as well, Miss Hudson," Alfred shared.

"Can I speak with Bruce?" Jaina asked.

"I'm afraid Master Bruce is detained on business out of town," Alfred said smoothly.

"Well, considering he no longer runs Wayne Enterprises since the hostile takeover took the family business away from him, I suppose that leaves him dying down in the Bat Cave," Jaina wore a sly smile.

"Cave? I daresay there aren't any caves on the grounds," Alfred protested.

"I disagree," White Rabbit stepped out of the shadows, "Now, show us the grandfather clock."

"I must insist…" Alfred began to lie again.

"That there isn't a grandfather clock in the study hung on hinges that hide a stairwell that descends into the Bat Cave?" White Rabbit teased him, "You can tease my little tail but I'll find the clock with or without your help, Jeeves."

"Alfred," he sniffed.

White Rabbit rolled her eyes, "Sure, argue semantics while your boss is dying."

"Why are you paired with her?" Alfred pleaded with Jaina.

"White Rabbit and I were literally joined at birth," Jaina revealed, "Now, I care about Bruce and don't want to see any harm to come to him. White Rabbit is transfixed with Batman. She's been suggesting a time share between us."

Alfred looked horrified. Jaina shook her head, "Things like that are very, very common. They're just not advertised."

"Can you honestly help Master Bruce?" he asked Jaina.

"I have six years of medical schooling. I just never did my residency before my parents died. Afterwards it just seemed I could do more for their legacy that simply patch together individual patients," Jaina explained.

"Hey!" White Rabbit yelped, "If I could actually feel cold I'd be freezing my fluffy white tail off."

"Follow me," Alfred said in resignation.

* * *

They descended the stairs to come to the Bat Cave's central floor which was where the medical unit was situated. Jaina smiled, "You must be Dick. And Plastic Man as well. How…unexpected."

"Who's the rabbit?" Plas asked.

Dick drew his sidearm, "Freeze! Hands on your head!"

"Um…who is she again?" Plas wondered.

"Someone who plays all sides," Dick grated, "Who told you about all of this?"

"They already knew," Alfred said defensively while White Rabbit confessed, "Brucie told me."

"Excuse me?" Dick thought he was getting hard of hearing, "You're saying Bruce Wayne told you he was Batman."

"Well, not in so many words. But words weren't really necessary as I mapped out his body between our seven romps in bed," White Rabbit snickered, "I probably know him better than you do."

Alfred looked stunned. Jaina merely groaned, "Be that as it may. The point is, we're here to help."

"Why?" Dick wanted to know.

"Because the world needs a Batman. Especially today," Jaina told him.

"And it needs a White Rabbit?" Dick asked snappishly.

"Hey!" White Rabbit protested.

"More often than you'd think," Jaina began studying the monitors and test results that had been run on Bruce.

"How are you qualified to help?" Dick wondered.

Jaina gave her bona fides again, "It seems ten percent of the iron in his blood somehow transmuted into arsenic. Which hooking up to blood transfusions and dialysis has been purifying his blood. You saved his life. Now we look for repercussions."

She ran several cardiograms, "This isn't good."

"Why?" Alfred had to ask.

"His heart is damaged. Permanently damaged," Jaina pronounced gravely, "He could have a massive heart attack in ten minutes or ten years from now. Either way, it'll be crippling. Batman will die that day even if Bruce Wayne survives."

"Understood," Bruce said gravely from the bed he occupied, "Can I be disconnected yet?"

"Let me check," Jaina ran another blood serum analysis, "Your blood is pure enough you'd survive if you were unhooked. But Bruce, your heart can't endure a high stress load anymore."

"It won't," Bruce told her, "Dick, open locker number nine."

Inside Dick discovered a black Batsuit with a red emblem and a full face mask. Bruce explained, "That's the suit I had Azrael develop for me. It augments strength, has a cloak, and limited flight capability as well as a ballistic weave protection. Now open weapons locker number thirteen."

Dick found the latest generation batarangs inside of it, "These are…different."

"The suit had a storage pouch and dispenser on the back modeled after your Nightwing suit. But the dispenser archives batarangs by capability and delivers them based upon the inputted requirements," Bruce explained while Jaina and Alfred disconnected all the IVs.

"Thank you, Dick," Bruce said as he took the Batsuit from his original protégé. Dressing behind a curtain he emerged moments later and there was a collective gasp from everyone but White Rabbit.

"Yummy!" she practically hummed.

Batman loaded the batarangs and then touched a control located inside his wrist. The new Batmobile activated and began to float. Even Dick was amazed.

The cabin hatch slid forward and Batman mounted the vehicle and got in. Strapping in, he gazed out at White Rabbit, "Coming?"

"In more ways than one!" she thrilled at his invitation.

Hopping behind him she waved at Jaina, "Don't wait up!"

The Batmobile flew out of the cave. Dick plugged his phone into the Bat Computer and received all of his text messages since he went off grid. He was disappointed by them.

"Plas, you and Penny have been terminated from Spyral's employ. Hula Hula resigned over it and now he's with ARGUS at the Hall of Justice. Penny is waiting for you at GCPD headquarters. Need a guide out?"

"Just straight down the cave, right?" Plas wondered.

"I'll arrange for the exit to open for you," Dick promised.

Plastic Man transformed into a helicopter and flew out of the Bat Cave. Dick went to the visible display case hanging one of his spare Nightwing outfits. Checking weapons lockers he found a cache of wingarangs. So he donned the costume and Nightwing was reborn.

"I'll be borrowing the original Batmobile," Nightwing announced as he boarded and activated the vehicle. Then it roared out of the cave.

Alfred gripped Jaina's shoulders, "Come, dear. All that's left to us is the waiting."

"He's going to kill himself," Jaina whispered before she'd consent to moving.

"That has been a possibility for years," Alfred sadly acknowledged, "But as today proves, Master Bruce is a survivor."

"Are you certain Bruce Wayne even really exists?" Jaina asked the question that had been plaguing her lately.

* * *

The new Batmobile landed behind the Hall of Justice. Question led Huntress, Starling, and Bat-Girl out to investigate. Question quickly deduced Batman had simply upgraded his vehicle and attire. No one knew what to make of White Rabbit but Batman continually insisted she come with him. White Rabbit just seemed deliriously happy to accompany Batman.

Batwoman lingered outside the conference room where the planning session was underway, "I heard you had a rough time of it. Glad to see you're still with us."

"How are Spoiler and Azrael?" Batman had placed them both under Batwoman's supervision.

"Catwoman has Spoiler on a mission in Monte Carlo," Batwoman answered, "Azrael is being…problematic."

"I'll deal with it," Batman promised before he led White Rabbit into the conference room. Conversations ended.

"I understood you were injured," Trevor broke the silence.

"I got better," Batman said tersely.

"And we're all happy you did," Waller said gratefully. Sue and Hula Hula were more than happy to greet Batman's arrival. Deathstroke grudgingly gave him respectful acknowledgement. And Nyssa…even Nyssa looked pleased to see him and the White Rabbit.

"Hula Hula, escort the rabbit out of the room," Waller instructed.

"She stays," Batman, Nyssa, and Slade said in unison.

Waller looked slapped, "Very well then. Back to business. Why the Teen Titans?"

Slade had his helmet resting on the table, "Because Rose wants them. And after her judgment call with Horus, I think she has an eye for these things."

"Literally," White Rabbit snickered.

Slade gave her a weary look.

"Sorry. Family joke," White Rabbit remarked.

Sue and Hula Hula struggled to maintain their composure. Even Trevor was enjoying the irreverence. Nyssa got them back on track.

"So are you suggesting we dispatch one of your Titans to San Francisco?" she inquired.

"Rose has a tentative relationship with the Teen Titans after working alongside some of them. She may be indirectly responsible for Speedy joining the JLA," Deathstroke pointed out, "But Rose is inclined to go alone. She thinks greater numbers may antagonize the teens."

"That's because they're undisciplined and will present themselves as a hazard to our force," Waller argued.

"Slade's proposal has merit," Nyssa countered.

Sue and Hula Hula concurred. Trevor voiced his support, "We simply need the manpower."

"The Titans are undisciplined but their leaders aren't," Batman summarized, "Send Ravager."

"I also propose we recruit an associate of mine who is based much closer to us," Nyssa spoke up.

"Who?" Waller wanted to know.

"Poison Ivy," Nyssa stated.

"Yay Ivy!" White Rabbit enthused.

"Do it," Batman decided.

"This isn't a democracy and no one placed you in charge," Waller grated.

"Let's pretend it is a democracy," Trevor suggested, "Any nominations for group leader?"

"Batman," Nyssa quickly spoke up.

"I agree," Slade put in.

"I nominate myself," Waller threw out there.

"I endorse Batman," Sue shared.

"I'm with the majority on this one," Hula Hula admitted.

"I vote Batman as well," Trevor added.

"Is there a doubt how I'll vote?" White Rabbit wondered.

"Fine," Waller sulked, "Batman is in charge."

"I assume Ravager is standing by, ready to deploy," Batman guessed.

"She's just awaiting clearance to depart," Slade told him.

"Tell the teleport control personnel she has clearance," Batman instructed. Then he turned to Nyssa, "How soon can you be ready?"

"Now," she told him, "And for the record, I'm glad my sister's plans for you failed. Your escape may insure humanity's right to self-determination."

"We need to talk when you return regarding your own plans for the future," Batman warned her.

"Yes, it should prove…enlightening," Nyssa agreed.

"The rest of you, I need a rundown on our available assets and personnel," Batman told them.

"I have the manifests prepared and right here," Sue handed the tablet computer over, "That incorporates the arrivals of the Teen Titans and Ivy."

Batman almost smiled. Almost.

* * *

Ravager teleported just outside the outer fence of the Teen Titans' compound. Rather than seek an entrance, she simply leapt atop the ten foot wall and vaulted over to the inner courtyard. From her position she could make out several breaches in the fence and even one in the compound walls.

Inspecting the breech, she quickly deduced that the hole was monitored by a network of lasers and probably a few IR and UV sensors. Deciding making a ruckus was in her best interest, Ravager sprinted through the hole. Alarm klaxons began to sound all throughout the building.

Knowing she only had seconds before Bart Allen arrived, she ducked inside a janitorial closet. She heard the staccato of Kid Flash's running feet. Then, after inspecting the now deserted hole, he ran in the opposite direction.

Ravager listened in while the Teen Titans responded. Superboy and Wonder Girl were sent outside to scout the surrounding area. Red Hood and Miss Martian secured the breech itself.

"I sense a mind. A highly focused and disciplined mind yet there is chaos underneath the iron walls of resolve. It is unlike any mind I have encountered here on Earth," M'gann told Red Hood.

Solstice, Bunker, and Skitter manned the security station. Skitter was still fully human and Bunker would buy her the time she needed to transform. Fairchild had secured the lab while Red Robin and Kid Flash patrolled the corridors.

Finally Red Robin came to inspect Red Hood and Miss Martian's protection zone a little more thoroughly. Kid Flash was well known to overlook key details. Red Robin opened the janitor's closet and hands with an iron grip pulled him into the darkness.

Red Robin found a mouth clamped onto his and a tongue doing enchanting things with his. Miss Martian opened the door and turned on the light while Red Hood aimed weapons at the occupants, "You!"

Ravager let Red Robin go but she wore a delighted grin, "Yes, me."

Kid Flash suddenly arrived, "Hmm…I never thought about looking in there."

* * *

The Teen Titans gathered around their conference table with Ravager. Rose had her mask off. She could overhear Wonder Girl and M'gann whispering about the compromising position Red Robin had been found in. Rose distinctly spotted how miserable Fairchild looked. Which Ravager didn't mind at all. She'd always despised Caitlin.

"I always thought you one sided mask bit was a trick," Kid Flash was utterly fascinated by Rose's eye patch, "I guess it isn't after all."

Solstice barely kept from face palming over that remark. Ravager just smirked, "Anyone have a real question?"

"What exactly were you doing with Red Robin in the janitor's closet?" M'gann asked.

There was a collective groan as Rose chuckled, "You really are a Martian, aren't you?"

Miss Martian scowled, "I don't see where that has any bearing on anything."

Red Robin was silent and no one was assuaging Fairchild's bruised feelings. M'gann wasn't certain she approved of this behavior. But M'gann had sensed Red Robin held affections for someone other than Fairchild before. Now she knew who the someone really was. And she wasn't certain she approved of that either.

"Why are you here?" Wonder Girl asked, "Why now?"

Red Robin obviously approved of the line of inquiry. Rose knew he was playing damage control but she still sullenly wondered who the hell's business was it what they did together inside a closet or not? But for his sake, she held her tongue.

"I need your help," she admitted, "Technically, _we_ need your help."

"Who counts as 'we'?" Red Hood asked. Ravager already knew Jason Todd was under the helmet so he'd removed it.

Rose listed all the parties concerned. Then she described the enemy. Finally she summarized Claire's plans.

"I can't stress how much I…we…need you on our side," Ravager declared.

"We'll do it," Red Robin volunteered everyone.

"What?" Red Hood protested, "She jams her tongue down your throat and now you'll do anything she says? What happened to our usual idiotic voting?"

"The majority will vote to go with Ravager," Red Robin predicted.

"Let's find out," Red Hood called for a vote. Only Fairchild and Solstice sided with Red Hood. The other seven felt compelled to go to the Hall of Justice and unite with what might be tantamount to the greatest hope for human freedom.

"You have to learn how to gauge the mood of your teammates," Red Robin suggested.

"Grab anything you'll need and meet me in the courtyard," Rose instructed, "The teleport network can't grab us inside the building."

Red Robin stayed with Rose as everyone returned to the dorms to pack.

"Aren't you going to pack up?" Rose asked him.

Red Robin reached beneath the table and dumped a back pack on it, "I keep this handy just in case."

"You didn't seem surprised to see me or that I was the one in the closet," Rose pointed out.

"I've been expecting a reunion ever since we left things…dangling," Red Robin confessed, "And I remembered how you smelled…and tasted."

"Beryl, you'll make a girl blush," Rose teased him.

"It'll take a lot more than that to make you blush, Rose," he replied.

"We've hardly met and yet I seem to know you like I've spent a lifetime with you," Ravager sighed.

"It's the same way with me," Red Robin shared, "Despite having virtually no contact when we were both at NOWHERE."

Rose seemed to soften as she stated, "You never asked why I came."

"You're afraid that if the Teen Titans don't join up with this mega-force then we'll be killed," Red Robin explained, "Specifically for you, that I'll be killed."

"Damn, you do know me," Ravager muttered.

"Our last meeting left a lot to be desired," Red Robin recalled, "It left a helluva lot to be desired. And it created a lot of desire."

Rose did manage to blush at the recollection of fantasies she'd had about Beryl Hutchinson. Red Robin looked more than a little frustrated at that point, "But your father still stands in our way."

"Meaning he won't let you join my Titans and he'd disown me if I join yours," Ravager said inconsolably.

"That pretty well sums things up," Red Robin confirmed it.

"There's a third path," Rose suggested, "We run away together and become independent operators. Lots of people would pay for our muscle."

"I appreciate the thought but the goal is too nebulous for me," Red Robin tried to let her down easy.

"Why do you have to be such a pain in my ass?" Ravager groaned.

"Let's talk about this later," Red Robin requested, "The others are returning."

* * *

Unbeknownst to either of them, Miss Martian had been invisible and within earshot for some time now. She'd heard Red Robin's accent change and then Ravager had even revealed his true identity. And now she finally understood the bond, and the struggle, between them. M'gann wanted to help but she needed to learn more before she could.

* * *

Plas flew to the Hall of Justice has a helicopter again. Penny was his sole passenger. They were quickly sworn in as ARGUS agents and members of the JLA. Penny was added to the flight crew of the Invisible Jet. It was arriving at LexCorp Air outside Metropolis within twenty minutes. Penny hated to leave right after being reunited with her husband and son. Waller compromised and let Penny take her son on the flight line to inspect the plane.

* * *

"I know you're here, Nyssa," Ivy's voice responded to her arrival through the arboretum. Nyssa still stood at the entrance.

Plants parted and cleared a path for Ivy to walk through. Nyssa gave her the League of Shadows' traditional salute, "I wish I could be here under better circumstances."

"I hear Gotham is weathering another storm," Ivy stroked the petals of mutated lilies, "There were even descriptions of your merry band. But what does any of that have to do with me?"

"Because the Legion won't let you simply sit it out. They'll force you to choose a side. Saturn Queen can't reprogram your hybrid mind and Luthor can't afford to kill you," Nyssa shared, "So they'll find alternative means to persuade you to join the cause."

"Meaning Harley," Ivy was distrustful, "Jaina promised the 'New Life' program was perfect."

"Nothing is ever truly erased if you know what to look for and where to find it," Nyssa warned her, "And they'll force Harley to choose as well."

"How?" Ivy packed a lot of meaning in a single word.

"Luthor rebuilt Brainiac. No one knows the AI's full capabilities but there is a remote chance he could uncover everything there is to know about Harley Quinn," Nyssa warned her.

"How do you know they'd approach the problem this way?" Ivy asked.

"Because it's what I would do," Nyssa confessed.

"I take it you're not alone in this resistance, or whatever it is?" Ivy asked.

Nyssa listed the key players. Ivy groaned, "It would have to be Batman. Wouldn't it?"

"Ivy, he thinks Harley is dead. He won't ever look for her as long as he stays ignorant of her survival," Nyssa told her.

"Which he'd learn about if Luthor found her," Ivy groaned again.

"Probably," Nyssa confirmed it, "But look at it this way, if we defeat the enemy, you could make a life with Harley with no Batman ever chasing either of you again."

"We'll see," Ivy sounded despondent.

* * *

"So, you're Nightwing again," Ulla smirked.

"We'll see," Nightwing shrugged.

"Dick Grayson, I know Spyral terminated you. I know you made your choice before donning that costume again. Just be honest about it," Ulla requested.

"All right, I'm going back to being Nightwing," Dick confessed.

"What about the JLA or any other Justice League?" she had to ask.

"No, Bludhaven has plenty of crooks and very few super villains. It'll be a nice change of pace," Nightwing promised, "But our home could always use a couple of heroes. Especially when the couple is a couple."

"Are you asking me to quit the JLI?" Ulla half laughed.

"Yes," Nightwing flat out admitted it.

"Oh," she was stunned, "I have to admit, that was unexpected."

"I hated working for the UN. We barely saw each other. Even if you come home every night, that still kills a lot of time we could be spending together," Nightwing explained his rationale.

"But it's just like going to a job. With horrible hours," Ulla had to admit the last part.

"How about you take a sabbatical and we try it out," Nightwing suggested.

"For how long?" Ulla asked.

"For as long as you're comfortable with," Nightwing suddenly dropped to one knee and revealed a jewelry boxy he'd kept hidden from her, "But ultimately I was hoping for the rest of our lives."

Ulla's eyes were bulging, "Are you…? I mean, are you really…?

"My answer is 'yes', what's yours?" Nightwing looked more vulnerable than she'd ever seen from Dick Grayson.

Dick and Ulla had discussed the merits of marriage but Dick had always seemed standoffish. They hadn't even remotely broached the subject lately. And now she knew why. He'd wanted to blindside her. And he'd succeeded.

She opened the case. Inside was a a three carat pink diamond with small quarter carat surrounding white diamonds. Dick knew pink diamond settings were her favorite. She gingerly put it on and it fit.

"How…how did you size it?" Ulla wondered.

"You have more than one ring," Nightwing said dryly, "I can always wait until you have an answer."

"Get up, silly man," Ulla laughed, "I just never thought you'd ask!"

"Um…so that's a 'yes'?" he was nervous again.

Ulla wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply. Then she whispered in his ear, "Of course it's a 'yes'."


	14. Chapter 14

26

The news from Paris dominated the coverage on televisions across Monaco. CNN and Fox News also brought reports from Gotham to those receiving those channels. For now, it seemed to educated observers that the Legion of Doom and its associates were taking a temporary back seat in global affairs. Media observers had spotted the comings and goings out of the soon-to-be christened Hall of Justice.

Selina Kyle and Kitrina Falcone had visited the hall just shortly before being shepherded to a flight out of JFK. Selina had refused to utilize a carrier airline unless she and Kitrina flew executive class. They'd later discovered Stephanie Brown had taken a flight with more connections around the same time. And she'd been relegated to tourist class.

Rocki Ballantine was the only one who had used the ISA teleporter network to arrive at the local station. They were holding her bat glider for her. The only reason she'd been allowed to use ISA's network was because Sue had seen a definite need for Batwoman's glider.

So Selina utilized some of Stephanie's insights into Arthur Brown's modus operandi. Selina herself was waiting for Cluemaster to reveal his chosen target. But she couldn't tail him throughout Monte Carlo itself because she was known to him. And Stephanie couldn't because she was his only child. Even Kitrina was a risk as well since her family was infamous amongst Gotham's criminal elite. But Rocki presented a complete ghost to Cluemaster's little operatives.

During the day, Cluemaster and two of his associates went on a tour of the Rainier family's palace and its corresponding state museum of family heirlooms. Selina and Stephanie followed the last man as he arranged a rental of a Range Rover Sport. A luxury vehicle also ideally suited to handle cargo and off road conditions.

Selina had demanded that ARGUS pay for Rocki and Stephanie to leave their modest hotel accommodations and join Selina and Kitrina in the Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo. Selina and Kitrina shared a full suite while Rocki and Stephanie took an "average" room. Those rooms still started at 461 Euros a night. Cluemaster enjoyed a suite at the Hotel de Paris as well but his three lackeys were squeezed into a single room accommodation.

Selina knew Luthor was financing Cluemaster just by his choice of accommodations. It was the most expensive hotel in a country known for its lavishness. Cluemaster was a moderately successful costumed criminal. Adventurous and capable enough to have earned a modest reputation but inept enough not to be a target of Batman's habitual radar. Instead, Stephanie had created the Spoiler identity specifically to foul up her father's schemes.

* * *

Rocki and Kitrina watched as Cluemaster and his cronies studied a display case with rapt focus and attention. They discreetly eyeballed the entire room but everything related to a single case. Rocki and Kitrina were finally able to wedge themselves near the case that Cluemaster and his men were monopolizing.

The tour guide finally berated them enough to allow other guests to view the crystal inside the case. Rocki's specialties were metallurgy and engineering. Crystals were out of her realm of expertise but it seemed unusual somehow. So she asked the tour guide why that was.

"Because the crystal was carved out of a meteorite that fell in Monaco during the late 14th Century. It eventually became the possession of the royal family and has been in their possession from that time except for a brief interlude during World War II where the Nazis acquired it and held it for study before entrusting it to the French Vichy government before the crystal's eventual repatriation in 1946," the tour guide explained

There were oohs and ahs over that. But both Rocki and Kitrina could plainly see Cluemaster knew all of that information and more. It seemed ARGUS needed to compile a report for the team in order for them to fully grasp what they were dealing with.

After returning from the tour, Rocki filed a report with Sue Dibney and Kitrina submitted an information request regarding the nature of the Nazis' research regarding the Rainier crystal. Then she began compiling her own research into the crystal's history. Sue had been derailed from principally handling the team's operation. So Hula Hula had stepped in as was his role as Deputy Chief of Operations in ARGUS' Justice League of America Initiative. Selina was alone amongst the gathered JLers who'd worked with Hula before.

Selina was preoccupied with dealing with ARGUS' accountants who were mass producing green nickels. So far, Selina's operation had been the antithesis of their definition of a good government operation. She'd booked a suite and a room in the country's most lavish hotel. Selina had rented a Porsche 918 Spyder, the company's most expensive automobile. And the women were enjoying room service almost to exclusion. Selina photographed and sent a copy of the menus of the hotel's three restaurants to ARGUS and the complaining over the room service almost halted entirely.

"Okay, the baccarat tournament resumes in two hours," Selina reminded her crew, "Stephanie, after I leave and your dad settles in to take a spectacular dive, you'll gear up and crash the room his goon squad shares. Rocki, you'll be Batwoman on a rooftop where you can observe the henchmen emptying the room to chase Spoiler. When they've left, Kitrina will pull a Catgirl and drop in from the roof to access their room and all of their planning material. Once Catgirl's in place, Batwoman will monitor and assist Spoiler as needed."

"Damn, we sound official," Kitrina grinned.

* * *

Selina drove her Porsche to the Casino del Montecarlo while Cluemaster took a courtesy shuttle provided by the hotel. Back home in Gotham, Selina drove a Porsche 911 but since this was the home of the Monaco Grand Prix, she'd decided to indulge herself with the Spyder.

Inside, Cluemaster approached Selina, "Why Ms. Kyle, I wish I could say this is a surprise."

"You seemed to do well for yourself last night," Selina offered him a bland smile, "Until the tournament was interrupted by your misfortune."

"What can I say?" Cluemaster asked with a longsuffering air, "Criminals abound even in environs such as this."

Selina bought him a drink. She knew from observing him play last night that he would limit himself to one alcoholic beverage per hour. But he appreciated her selection of the Krug nonvintage.

"So, still just here on pleasure?" he inquired a tad too aggressively.

"Oh, there's the odd trinket and bauble. But everything's registered with insurance companies and nothing large enough to fence and get a decent return on the effort and acquiring it in the first place," Selina complained, "So, it's still pleasure. Just a different kind than the old days."

"Yes, it would behoove the wealthier classes that flock here to register their valuables, I suppose," Cluemaster was feeling philosophical. He wouldn't be fencing the crystal. He'd simply hand it to Luthor.

* * *

The Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo had been built in 1864. As such, it had a classical architectural structure that made for a great deal of peaked roofs. Batwoman observed from atop a nearby modern building design. Catgirl was leaned over the roof waiting to rappel into position. And then Spoiler deployed.

Spoiler quickly and quietly maneuvered through the hotel to reach her father's minions. Disengaging the mag lock holding her fully telescoped quarterstaff together, she broke it down into two separate batons. She knocked on the door and called out that she was from room service.

Gambling they'd have access to the service authorized by Cluemaster today while he was away, she knew her guess had been right when a confused looking hoodlum opened the door and said, "But we just placed the order five minutes ago."

Rather than block her exit, Spoiler pushed him into the room with her batons in his gut. Then she clubbed him just above the ear. A second henchmen drew a gun but couldn't risk shooting inside the hotel without drawing the staff's attention. And the staff would alert the police. Spoiler kneecapped the would-be shooter.

As he fell, she noticed that the crooks had several tablet computers and old fashioned legal pads strewn about. The Range Rover thug attempted to tackle Spoiler. She leapt onto his back rode him as he collided with the larger bureau. Then she clubbed him in the neck. Darting outside the room, she headed for the main lobby while Cluemaster's crew of thieves scrambled to give chase.

* * *

Batwoman watched the melee with binoculars aimed at the henchmen's' room window. She used a laser sight to tap out a message next to Catgirl's head. Catgirl went for it. Her auto guide reel system lowered her precisely to the window she wanted to access. Using her multitool, Catgirl jimmied the window in seconds and fed herself enough slack to enter the room before detaching from the cables.

Batwoman watched as Spoiler crossed the street and started running down back alleys. Batwoman prepped her glider and waited until the goons, given enough of a visual trail, pursued Spoiler. Batwoman fired up the jet engines and hoped Cluemaster's men thought it was just a really loud takeoff at Monte Carlo Airport.

* * *

Catgirl discovered the tablets and notes. Using the USB ports, she copied every file in every machine with individual thumb drives. Each drive went into a separate pocket built into her boots. Then, using a small digital camera she photographed the legal pads, page by page.

Remembering she was on a time constraint she didn't bother searching the room and just went for the obvious targets. But despite Cluemaster's personal reputation, his helper bees didn't seem half as competent. Attaching herself back to the dual ropes of her auto reel. She double-checked her harness again before remotely activating the ascension phase of her plan.

The reel swept her up and over several stories of windows. Then she just had to pull herself onto the roof before putting civilian clothes on over her costume. Her mask went into a backpack while she unbolted the auto reel and slipped it into a duffel. Now she looked like anyone else who was checking in…who happened to get lost on the roof.

The henchmen lost sight of Spoiler. Then Batwoman landed her glider on a nearby rooftop. The trio found the access way had already been forced and they clamored to the roof. They arrived to find Spoiler waving goodbye to them as Batwoman flew her off into the distance. Cluemaster had already warned them of Spoiler's potential interference. Now they had the "privilege" of telling him she had an accomplice.

ARGUS had supplied Kitrina with half a dozen tablets and two laptops. Rocki brought her own laptop into the equation. So Kitrina loaded the files from each flash drive into two tablets and all the laptops. What she discovered was that two tablets were loaded with architectural blueprints of the museum. Two more were filled with electrical schematics of the same as well as the city power grid. The last two contained the security and surveillance system layout. The photographs contained proposed action plans as drawn up by Cluemaster. The henchmen were now processing those plans in relation to the operational realities.

* * *

Batwoman landed on the hotel roof after spotting Cluemaster's crew returning to the front lobby. Rocki and Stephanie put clothes on before entering the hotel and meeting Kitrina in her suite. Rocki and Stephanie read over Kitrina's results with dismay.

"When's Selina coming back?" Stephanie asked a little tightly.

"When your dad does," Kitrina shrugged.

* * *

Selina witnessed Cluemaster's spectacular fall. He did well for the early part of the evening before slowly declining. Then he went all in on a hand that was guaranteed to lose. Observers and players alike were stunned.

Cluemaster took his fall from grace easily enough, "Well, I guess luck only runs so far."

"I guess it wasn't meant to be," Selina dryly remarked, "I guess I'll see you back at the Hotel de Paris."

"You're staying there too?" Cluemaster was instantly suspicious again.

"Doesn't every ne'er do well that visits town?" Selina smirked, "Why don't I give you a ride?"

"You rented a car?" Cluemaster was and wasn't surprised. Rental rates were astronomical in a country where visitors' net worths averaged seven figures.

"Yeah, I couldn't resist," Selina explained while the valet fetched the Spyder. She explained how she drove her Porsche 911 in the States but just had to try out the 918 while in Monaco, "It makes my little wonder seem like a Volkswagen in comparison."

"Heh, I bet," Cluemaster practically drooled as the car arrived.

"I'd let you give her a spin but the rental and insurance agreements only list me as the driver," Selina shrugged, "You know how it is. But I'll go out on the highway and cruise us through the Riviera and back again. Deal?"

"You just want to show off," Cluemaster accused.

"Damn right I do," Selina said forcefully, "Of course, you could always walk back to the hotel."

"Well, unlock this bitch and let's take her out," Cluemaster decided.

Selina took Cluemaster out for some hairpin turns and fast sprints. She did the same after crossing the French border and then turned around and worried traffic officers all the way back to Monte Carlo. The hotel's valet staff parked her car and Cluemaster gave her a jaunty wave.

"Thanks for the ride, in more ways than one," Cluemaster entered the main lobby while Selina received her car keys and valet ticket.

Cluemaster reported in to his gang. They were near panic and described Spoiler's arrival and the mystery that was the Batwoman. Cluemaster was livid.

"Daughter or not, she makes another appearance you kill her. Understood?" Cluemaster demanded to know.

The crew all agreed. So he asked another question, "Describe the one on the flying wing."

They did and Cluemaster scowled, "It sounds like Batwoman. Word was she operates out of Chicago. Catman also reported killing her yet a Batwoman clone has attended JLA press conferences. So someone else has assumed the identity. But why is she here with Spoiler? Why would the JLA even care about our operation? If this is even a sanctioned JLA op."

"What are we gonna do, boss?" Jake Elliott asked.

Cluemaster considered his assets. Jake was his wheel man. Dennis Quatrain was his alarm, surveillance, and electrical engineering expert. Alan Davis was his architect. Alan also served as the explosives expert.

"We aren't set up to fight superheroes and rob the palace at the same time," Alan pointed out.

"You're right," Cluemaster conceded, "And I have just the friend who's been waiting for this kind of opportunity."

"Who?" Dennis wondered.

"A fellow that calls himself Libra. He's usurped control of Starling City's criminal enterprises since Green Arrow and Black Canary left town. He's expanding his tentacles into Opal City and Hub City. He wants to cement his reputation by killing a few masked vigilantes and the Question and the Huntress have evaded him thus far. I think my darling daughter and the Batwoman clone are just what he's been waiting for."

"When could he be here?" Jake asked.

"Within twenty-four hours," Cluemaster promised, "But we'll have to postpone our endeavor by a day. We need to give Libra time to stake out where he'll ambush the JLA, if that's who they really are."

Cluemaster considered matters, "Catwoman is still in town. She's both former Legion and former JLU. If she's a player in this then we deal with her."

"How?" Dennis wanted to know what they were in for.

"Permanently," Cluemaster demanded.

* * *

Kitrina had printed pictures from INTERPOL's taps into the palace's surveillance network. She had the entire public areas mapped out. And armed with Cluemaster's data, Selina smirked, "I'll say this for Cluemaster, he chose his people well."

"And now we know why," Kitrina informed her, "I had Stephanie call in a complaint from her room while Rocki lodged one at the front desk. That let me make photos of Cluemaster's crews' passports. I figured they'd be in the FBI's criminal database. So ARGUS put in a search request for us."

"Sharp thinking," Selina approved, "But just how did you create a credible problem large enough to keep the entire front desk busy?"

"A hand towel with a baton used to stuff it down the toilet pretty much works every time," Stephanie grinned.

"Except we had to change rooms," Rocki lamented.

"Hey, you said 'make it realistic'. Nothing's more realistic than actual reality," Stephanie retorted.

"I never endorsed actually breaking the plumbing," Rocki complained.

"Calm down," Selina urged them, "It was messy but it worked. And ARGUS is footing the damage bill. And the FBI is finally doing something useful on our behalf."

"The digital camera built into the eyeglasses I wore also gave us in depth pictures stored on the mock hearing aid I wore," Rocki pointed.

"Those pictures are being printed up now," Kitrina explained why the printer was still hard at work.

"Steph, will your father move within forty-eight hours?" Selina asked for Spoiler's expertise.

"Dad won't move tonight because he just isn't ready yet. He'll cancel tomorrow night because of Batwoman and Spoiler being in town. But he'll have a contingency plan in place the following night and will feel confident enough to move in," Stephanie counseled.

"Then we need to familiarize ourselves with the palace and get there first," Selina promised.

"I know we're stealing the crystal in order to make certain the locals don't spill the fact to the Legion but are we actually _stealing_ it?" Rocki asked.

"ARGUS has an arrangement with the king," Selina retrieved a specially padded case originally designed for ice skates. She opened it and lifted a crystal out of it, "This is outwardly identical to the meteorite crystal. Only it's derived from terrestrial materials unlike the meteor crystal. So if this is in place then Cluemaster won't know he's snatched a fake. And we'll apply enough pressure to insure he buys into it."

"Okay, I just had to know," Rocki relented.

"That's why you're on the team," Selina acknowledged, "Now, we get busy on the rest of it. God, I love it when a good caper comes together."

* * *

As the JSA All Stars soared over the highly variable terrain on the Subtle Realms, Captain Marvel, Stargirl, Captain Marvel Jr., and Aztek battled demons forces while Anna Fortune continued to guide Sentinel and his construct passengers to the massive structure looming ahead of them. It was a castle as wide as the Great Wall of China and it stretched into the sky as high as Mt. Everest. As they approached its massive shadow loomed out across the great plain dominating the valley below the All Stars.

They all came to a halt before the edifice and the demons had abandoned their assaults. Stargirl summed up what was on everybody's minds the best, "Un-frickin'-believable."

The sounds of a cataclysmic battle resounded throughout the valley. Anna pointed at the structure, "Mary Marvel is inside somewhere. Her aethers are so broadened as to prevent me from pinpointing her location."

"How can that be?" Captain Marvel was agitated and it showed.

"I've spent time constructing a spell which will temporarily allow you all to see what my goggles reveal," Anna cast her spell. Beams of great power encompassing the two Marvels present with the group enveloped the Captain and Junior. But the four similar beams penetrating the castle were almost as broad as the great spire that dominated the center of the castle. Somewhere inside of it, Anna assured them, the four beams converged on Mary.

"Then we start with the tower," Captain Marvel decided, "Or Junior and I go it alone."

"Jay, can you lead a team into the base of the castle and search levels until you either find Mary or rejoin us as we descend?" Sentinel asked Flash.

"Do we have a general direction to head towards?" Flash asked Anna.

"My guess is Mary is located midway between the heights and depths of the castle," Anna answered.

"Your guesses generally turn out to be pretty damn accurate," Flash chuckled, "So I'll trust this one as well."

Flash took Jesse Quick, Hourman, Mr. Terrific, Sand, Commander Steel, Judomaster, Atom Smasher, and Metamorpho with him. Anna called after Atom Smasher, "Don't you dare die on me, Albert Rothstein."

"That's a two way street, Anna Fortune," he called back before entering the castle proper.

* * *

Sentinel led the lift to the uppermost spire. He used his power ring to smash away the top of it. Nearly fifty demons were inside some kind of aerie. As they stretched their wings to take flight, Stargirl focused her Cosmic Rod on them and incinerated them all. Afterwards she was woozy.

"Go, I'll tend to her," Anna urged the others.

The sounds of battle intensified as the base and heights of the castle joined in battles with the central point. Stargirl eyed Anna, "Why are you really with me?"

"If William fails to persuade Mary, then that will be my cue for you to intervene on her behalf," Anna shared, "I fully intend for you to arrive if and when needed."

* * *

Flash and Jesse tore through the castle's outer edges just to be certain Mary hadn't reached them instead. The other All Stars were battling their way up twisting staircases. But some stairwells went up just to come back down. And those twisted into other chamber after climbing to subsequent levels. The locations of the one true staircase seemed randomly located.

Hourman's chemically derived strength enabled him to batter his way through the demonic ranks. He and Commander Steel frequently worked together to bring walls down atop their foes. But just as frequently, doing so revealed hidden pockets of demon fighters. Unlike Hourman, Commander Steel was proofed against demon claws and teeth.

Seeing their attacks thwarted, the soldiers began arming themselves with pike, axes, spears, and swords. Judomaster evaded every weapon and every physical attack. And she responded with lethal strikes. It wasn't long before the demons grew to fear Judomaster.

Metamorpho secured the lower staircase after Flash and Jesse rejoined them. He transmuted from acidic compounds to phosphorous to radon gas. Demons were melted, burnt, and radioactively poisoned depending upon the elements that he chose.

Atom Smasher could barely double his size but his increased strength worked as effectively as Hourman and Commander Steel's. Sand ripped open flooring to create sinkholes delving deep into the soil. Then he would close the holes shut, crushing and suffocating those trapped beneath them.

Mr. Terrific's T-Spheres used energy blasters to fight demons while he himself used his boxing techniques learned before he joined the JLU and perfected under Wildcat's tutelage. He hung close to Judomaster to guard her flank. But he seriously wondered why he bothered.

* * *

Captain Marvel pushed his way through the demonic ranks keeping him from Mary. Junior dealt with those attackers that maneuvered around Captain Marvel's wrath. Sentinel and Aztek cleaned up the rearguard.

Junior held back for a second and asked Sentinel, "Any sign of Anna and Courtney?"

"They're behind us," Sentinel's ring flashed as it told him, "Aztek, want to hang back and assist the ladies should they need it?"

"I promise I won't tell them you said that," Aztek grinned as he double backed.

Captain Marvel pushed past a demon guard to arrive in a vast, oversized audience chamber with a stone throne set in place up against a wall. Junior looked around at the multiple corridors stemming out of the chamber, "Sentinel?"

"Mary's near," Sentinel reported, "Almost in this space."

Flash and Jesse burst past another column of demon guards. Flash scowled, "Any sign of her, Alan?"

The rest of his team made it into the chamber. Mr. Terrific frowned, "Anything?"

"She's close," Sentinel promised, "And getting closer."

The wall behind the throne began to pound. Stones were knocked loose with every impact. Dust and mortar began filling the chamber.

Finally the wall caved in and collapsed over the throne. Mary Marvel was thrown through the debris. Beyond her stood Johnny Sorrow.

Several things struck the All Stars as odd all at once. First, Johnny Sorrow was solid with his mask fully affixed. And then there was the matter of Mary's appearance.

Mary's red and gold outfit was now jet black except for the golden lightning emblem across her chest. Her white and gold cape was missing in lieu of no cape at all. Her hands were now covered with black gloves that flowed seamlessly into the uniform's long sleeves. And her rather modest skirt was now so short her black underwear could be easily seen. And she wore black boots laced up to her knees.

Mary took sight of the assembled All Stars. There was a raw hatred and savagery in her eyes that none of them had ever witnessed before. But Supergirl and Superwoman each had.

"Mary?" Captain Marvel asked.

She shot him a glare that could have easily killed him on its own merits. Then she attacked Johnny Sorrow again. This new, _Black_ Mary fought dirty and each strike was intended to permanently cripple or kill. Only Johnny Sorrow's nature saved him from either fate.

Sorrow repulsed her with a violent spell that only her nature allowed her to survive. Sentinel erected a shield between Sorrow and the All Stars. Sorrow began to chuckle.

"I banished young Mary to the Subtle Realms to use her in a spell that required a sacrificial victim that had fallen in love with me, was touched by cosmic forces, and was pure of heart," Sorrow taunted Mary, "She's touched alright. She fell in love and was about to offer herself mind, body, and soul to me but I discovered her heart was as tainted as mine. Imagine her surprise when I became myself again and rejected her, casting her to the furthest reached of the Subtle Realms. And her heart, being what it is, brought her back to me with every intent to kill me."

Mary snarled at Sorrow. He had to comment, "They say love tames the savage beast. In this case it unleashed it. I threw everything the Subtle Realms has to offer at her and she relentlessly pursued her quest to kill me. Me. The one being that can return her to Earth Prime."

Jesse pulled Flash aside, "We have two threats before us. Sorrow is one. He's the obvious threat but Mary is just as much a danger if we can't calm her down."

"Anna has a plan," Jay Garrick assured her.

"Then where is she?" Jesse grated.

Aztek led Anna and Stargirl into the chamber. Stargirl immediately blasted away at Sorrow with the Cosmic Rod. He was staggered and in obvious pain.

But he began cackling; "Now this is more like it. Begone!"

* * *

Anna found herself staring at vast plains with no obvious signs of life present. Yet she knew she wasn't alone. Mary landed behind her.

Anna felt the full weight of Mary's wrathful glare. She and Courtney had hidden and overheard Sorrow's explanation of what he'd put Mary through. If Mary truly had been ready to consummate whatever affection she had for the obviously disguised Sorrow, then she would have done so as Mary Batson. And it was after Sorrow's revelation that Mary had undoubtedly become Black Mary.

"Well, this is certainly a new 'you'," Anna commented to test the waters.

With Sorrow out of her sights, Mary was still angry but she was no longer seething in a murderous rage. Anna knew all about anger.

"Mary, I can't help you unless you tell me what you need," Anna stated then went ahead with her intuitive hunches, "You know I lost my one true love to bigotry in the past. You lost Ray even before you came here. You were still coping with that loss when Sorrow disguised himself and preyed upon you. You thought you'd found love again and were even ready to bed him to prove it. And you were betrayed in the ultimate sense of the word. So tell me. How can I help you?"

Mary just stared at her in stunned silence before her knees eventually buckled. She gasped air so quickly and in such great quantities she was on the verge of hyperventilating. And then Mary began to pour out her grief and rage in tremendous sobs.

Anna instinctively went to her and stood pressed up against Mary while cradling the younger woman's head against her stomach. Anna knew Marry had only turned eighteen mere weeks before disappearing, "Shh…I won't lie to you. The pain will always be there. But you will learn to cope. And eventually you'll learn to trust again. And when you can trust, that will be the first step towards a true love."

Mary gripped Anna even tighter because of her candid honesty. Mary didn't need platitudes. She needed the truth and she'd just heard it.

* * *

Captain Marvel Jr. gazed across the landscape and he was facing a demon army larger than any force ever assembled on Earth. The demons even blotted out the light that mysteriously filtered down from the sky even without a visible sun. Junior just hoped he could beat Mary's location out of one of them.

Stargirl threw herself into Captain Marvel's embrace, "Billy! Thank God you're here!"

"Unfortunately we aren't alone," Captain Marvel directed her gaze back towards the castle in the distance, "Mary is somewhere inside so we have to return."

"I guess," Stargirl hesitated.

"Courtney, I'll protect you. Nothing bad will ever happen to you as long as I'm with you," Captain Marvel promised.

"That's one of the reasons why I love you," Stargirl admitted.

"I know," Captain Marvel simply said.

Courtney wondered why he hadn't returned the sentiment. She chalked it up to his being distracted by what had happened to Mary.

* * *

Mr. Terrific found himself in a vast wasteland dominated by rising and falling sand dunes. His T-Spheres were nowhere in range of his mask's controls. Nor were the T-Spheres located at their entrance point into this dimension. But his first task was finding water or he'd be dead in three days or less.

* * *

Sentinel had been dropped in front of an army. He'd been relocated amidst a massive war fought between armies the scale of which he'd never beheld before. And both sides suddenly decided he was fresh sport.

* * *

Flash had raced across what seemed to be a continent. And he'd been intercepted by demons every step of the way. Even now he was approaching a wall-like fortification manned by a garrison force. He wondered if he was even headed back towards the castle he'd been at moments before.

* * *

Sand found himself trapped within an hourglass. He didn't find whoever's sense of humor very funny. He'd been left with his gas gun but it seemed useless against the airtight chamber.

* * *

Hourman had found himself in a crevice like a miniature Grand Canyon. It took the rest of the hour his Miraclo dose was potent in to reach the rise. And as soon as he did he found a demon patrol waiting for him. Hourman only had two doses left to rely upon. So he wondered how he'd fare without it.

As Hourman crested the canyon, Jesse raced through it and he had no idea his wife was even in the region. Jesse was being pursued by a special pack of hunters that rode hellhounds in pursuit of her. And Jesse was just barely staying ahead of them.

* * *

Atom Smasher looked around for Anna. But he finally gave up. But with his current ten story height he could see a spire in the distance. So he trudged off to reach it. He just happened to trample demon patrols along the way. Al considered them bonuses.

* * *

Aztek had also been delivered into a war. And it was Aztek against every former side. And the armies seemed to stretch on beyond his imagination.

* * *

Metamorpho found himself in a polar region. Seeing the first hints of water to be found in the hell dimension, he examined the ice. It looked like dry ice and was therefore incapable of being consumed. But the winds were several hundred miles an hour and the freezing temperatures were biting even into Metamorpho's adapted hide. So he was grateful to find an ice cave. But it was already occupied.

* * *

Commander Steel had been climbing a distorted mountain for what seemed like hours. Stretching ahead of him were vast plains that led to the castle he'd just been at. And demon armies were arrayed in a defensive posture. So he had to find a way to circumvent the armies without sacrificing months.

* * *

Judomaster had ambushed a straggling demon that was part of a foot patrol. Donning its cloak and grabbing its weapons, she joined the patrol. She had no idea where she was or where she was headed. But she planned on learning soon enough.

* * *

Saturn Queen's force joined Lightning Lord's in returning to OmniTech in Los Angeles. Neither was in a good mood as they met up with the rested Cosmic King. Cosmic King was sympathetic.

"We knew these forces would be the most difficult to kill," Cosmic King reminded them, "Brainiac has isolated the remaining credible team threats facing us."

"Any other news?" Lightning Lord asked.

"Grodd arrived with a technical support team," Cosmic King reported.

"Why?" Saturn Queen was confused.

"Because Luthor forced them to leave the Hall of Doom," Cosmic King advised his partners.

"Luthor wouldn't empty the Hall of Doom if he wasn't planning treachery," Lightning Lord shared.

"Which was inevitable," Saturn Queen sighed, "The timing is just…inconvenient."

"Eve, Grodd trusts you the most out of any of us," Cosmic King pointed out, "Perhaps you'll persuade him to give up what Luthor is planning."

"While you and Mekt receive Brainiac's report?" Saturn Queen asked.

"We could wait for your return," Lightning Lord assured her.

"I'll be right back," Saturn Queen promised.

* * *

She found Grodd had brought Ultra-Humanite, Dr. Sivana, Mr. Mind, and Clock King with him. Saturn Queen cut to the chase, "Why is your detail here?"

"I know why I'm here, heh heh heh," Dr. Sivana leered at Saturn Queen.

"Your thoughts would be repulsive in any century," Saturn Queen made him bounce his forehead off a metal support pillar until he was bloody, "Now Doctor, what are your intentions?"

She smiled, "Very good, Doctor. Keep thinking that. You may even get your wish. Oh, and if you happen to regress, next time I'll make you punish yourself against a window until you plunge through it thirty stories to your death. Are we clear?"

"How can we be of assistance?" Grodd inquired.

"You know the project we require be completed," Saturn Queen was a little cross because of Sivana.

"Progress is being made," Grodd reported, "But Dr. Connelly had kept the bulk of her designs off of LexCorp networks."

"Have you tried her apartment? Her husband is with us so he won't interfere," Saturn Queen pointed out the obvious.

"Perhaps you can send him to Paris to collect his wife's research notes," Grodd suggested.

"I have other uses for Booster gold. Send one of your associates. They'd have a better technical grasp of the material they'd be searching for," Saturn Queen suggested.

"Of course," Grodd obligingly replied.

"Now answer my damn question. Why has Luthor emptied the Hall of Doom?" Saturn Queen was irked.

"He's not alone, he has our temporal agent with him as well as all the captive JLers," Grodd stated.

"Luthor isn't part of the Legion's future after current events have passed," Saturn Queen scowled, "He isn't aware of this."

"Perhaps he is after all," Grodd warned her, "Lex is not a fool and he has unimaginable resources at his disposal."

"Has anyone useful remained behind?" Saturn Queen's frustration was showing.

"Calendar Man is still in place. He and I have an…arrangement. But I fear losing him if I activate him at this juncture," Grodd revealed.

"Will his loss impede your designs?" Saturn Queen bluntly asked.

"No," Grodd admitted, "My efforts would continue unimpeded."

"Then activate him," Saturn Queen directed.

"There is one entity that certainly knows all of Lex's plans," Grodd pointed out.

"Who?" Saturn Queen thought they'd covered everyone.

"Brainiac," Grodd said.

* * *

"Brainiac, assemble the remaining Rogues and Legionnaires and have them begin planning the liberation of all incarcerated Legion members and the Brotherhood of Evil," Saturn Queen said as she strolled into the room.

"Is this really a mission priority?" Lightning Lord had to wonder.

"Something I skimmed off of Grodd's psyche," Saturn Queen admitted, "This era's Legion, like our own, is predicated on the promise of liberation should members be captured. We can't afford to lose the goodwill this will engender towards us and our cause. We simply couldn't buy the brand of loyalty this will earn us."

"Brainiac can you locate all the imprisoned Legionnaires and affiliates?" Cosmic King inquired.

"I already have done so," Brainiac boasted.

"Then transfer that data to the rescue parties," Cosmic King was a little perturbed he had to order the action.

"It is being done," Brainiac promised.

"Did you determine who our greatest unidentified threats are?" Lightning Lord posed the obvious question, "And are you prepared to detail who and where they are?"

"I have determined that only four unidentified threats pose any danger whatsoever," Brainiac reported, "However, calculating quantifiable data into the equation only two teams remain variables in regards to their susceptibility to Saturn Queen's powers of persuasion."

"Who are these teams?" Cosmic King was getting bored.

"The first two are government sponsored paramilitary units. The first is the German Federal Guard. The Federal Guard has also supplanted the Global Guardians as NATO's response team. But the Federal Guard has only been recently established and their combat armor and the agents wearing it are largely untested," Brainiac explained, "The Russian Federation supports a similar paramilitary unit dubbed the Rocket Red Brigade. Individual brigade members are designated by number. But the team's leader, simply called Rocket Red utilizes Apokoliptan battle armor."

"That could prove problematic," Cosmic King admitted.

"Then the Great Ten of the People's Republic of China serves as the first variable. Other than August General in Iron, none of the ten have served outside of China so no concrete information regarding their effectiveness exists outside of the unreliable Chinese propaganda," Brainiac shared, "The final variable is a team based in the United States. The Teen Titans were originally based on an otherwise uninhabited island in New York City's harbor. But the Teen Titans recently uprooted their operations and moved to San Francisco where they operate outside of a compound situated near the Presidio."

Brainiac elaborated, "The Teen Titans also underwent a membership changeover. Five new, and previously unknown, members enlisted in the Titans' ranks. Another has returned after an apparent sabbatical."

"Where the three unspecified teams headquartered?" Lightning Lord wanted to know.

"Berlin, Moscow, and Beijing," Brainiac shared, "All traditional seats of national power."

"The Teen Titans obviously defeated the Brotherhood of Evil and their Legion support," Saturn Queen surmised, "What is the Titans' operational status?"

"MIA," Brainiac answered.

"What?" Cosmic King erupted.

"Their compound is secured but no one is residing within it. Their own security logs report the team received a visitor before being teleported by an ISA network," Brainiac described what happened.

"You've been wasting our time, you damn toaster oven!" Cosmic King snarled.

"It's obvious that the Teen Titans have joined the All Stars at the JLA's Hall of Justice," Saturn Queen said calmly, "And it's probable that the Injusticers and Deathstroke's Titans have joined with them as well. Brainiac, display satellite imagery of any new vehicular arrivals to the Hall of Justice within six hours."

Both the latest and original Batmobiles appeared in a holographic image, "These two arrivals have appeared within the time stamp reference specified. One is known as Batman's original Batmobile. The other is an unknown quantity."

"It's another Batmobile," Lightning Lord said grimly, "The last Batmobile used by the original Batman before being taken possession of by the second Batman thirty-five years from now."

"He's dead, I tell you," Cosmic King was practically rabid.

"It doesn't matter," Saturn Queen sought to restore order, "It was almost always an inescapable development."

"I say we storm this accursed Hall of Justice and kill all of our enemies in one fell swoop," Cosmic King angrily proposed.

"I can speak from experience that our Justice League forces unfortunately hold back against the JLA and its allies and our Legion forces are too severely diminished to effectively strike," Saturn Queen admitted.

"They're not going anywhere, Laevar," Lightning Lord assured him, "Once we bolster our forces with the freed Legion forces and capture the minds of these Federal Guardsmen, Rocket Reds, and the Great Ten, we will mercilessly strike all of our enemies down."

"There are two additional elements as well," Brainiac amended his earlier declarations.

"Why haven't you already listed them?" Cosmic King was outraged.

"The Injustice Society and the Crimson Jihad are potentially natural allies," Brainiac explained, "Technically speaking, attacking the Injusticers and the Titans without first attempting to secure their loyalty was a strategic blunder."

"You're lecturing us on strategy?" Cosmic King was irate.

"He's right," Saturn Queen confessed, "We should have approached them as potential allies before relegating them to 'enemy' status. We just suffered from a knee jerk reaction from observing so many timelines where we inevitably fought both Nyssa al Ghul and Deathstroke's forces."

"So how do we approach this situation?" Cosmic King forcibly calmed himself.

"Summon the Crime Syndicate, the Justice League Unlimited, and the following members of the Justice League International…" Lightning Lord supplied his list.

"But before you do, send the Rogues and the Legionnaires to the briefing room so we can bless their efforts," Saturn Queen instructed, "Thereby reminding them that we sanctioned this effort. After the Legion and the Rogues are dismissed, send in the JLers and the Crime Syndicate."

"One final note," Brainiac promised, "Several stray Legionnaires are petitioning me for transport coordinates for the boom tube controllers. It is possible for me to supply coordinates directly to their controllers and have them remain inaccessible to the individuals."

"Send the coordinates and alert the Legionnaires that they can transport at will," Lightning Lord specified.

"And make approaches to Regulus, Majestic, and John Lynch," Saturn Queen ordered, "Do you have their current whereabouts?"

"Regulus is overseeing the primary Basilisk camp in southern Mexico. Majestic has set up a personal fiefdom in Outer Mongolia and is ruling it as a great white god. Lynch is narrowing in on Majestic. His actual intentions are nebulous but his specified goal as dictated to the DEO is to harness Majestic as a United Nations controlled deterrent on the scale of a Superman or Ultraman," Brainiac answered.

Brainiac spent nearly a second pondering on whether or not to mention Stormwatch and the Shadow Cabinet. But he couldn't prove their existence and he easily dismissed the notion of pitting the Legionnaires against urban myths. So he ended the debate before it even began.

* * *

Batman gathered the commanders and unit leaders of the various teams into the Hall of Justice's briefing theater. The goal was to establish a concrete strategy. And to formulate a list of potential Legion targets.

Steve Trevor, Nyssa, Deathstroke, Red Robin, Vapor, Nightshade and Wildcat represented the commanders. David Cain, Blacksmith, Enigma and Joker's Daughter, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Red Hood represented the unit commanders. Sue Dibney and Hula Hula represented the ARGUS Justice League of America Initiative's Operations Department. Elongated Man was watching over the section while Sue and Hula attended the conference.

Goldilocks and Killer Frost were present as mission specialists. Nightwing was Batman's chosen deputy. And unbeknownst to those inside the theater, events were unfolding outside the hall.

* * *

Ralph briefed the JLers. The Injusticers and the Titans were held in reserve should the unknown entity approaching the Hall of Justice prove to be a threat and overwhelm the Justice Leagues. The entity had arrived from outer space and entered Earth's atmosphere hell bent on a direct approach aimed at the hall. Telemetry had the object landing fifty feet from the front doors.

Hawkman and Troia led the initial reception committee. It was a mixed force comprised of Superboy, Wonder Girl, Solstice, Black Orchid, Silver Swan, Enchantress, Vibe, and Hawk and Dove. It soon became apparent the incoming object was a yellow orb. An orb that suddenly manifested a power beam that descended and transformed into a fist while it did so.

The fist smashed into Hawk, propelling him through the bulletproof glass partitions separating the foyer from the courtyard steps. Dove immediately went to check on Hawk. Then the orb stopped and vanished…revealing Guy Gardner.

"Har har har! Eat that, Bird Boy! Who's laughin' now, ya scuz?" Guy was obviously delighted with his property destruction.

"I take it it's safe to assume you've joined the Sinestro Corps," Hawkman said drolly.

"It's the Fear Corps now, ya idiot. An' no, I ain't a member. Does this look like a frickin' Fear Corps uniform?" Guy smarted off.

"And we'd know because…?" Troia wondered.

"`Cause I'm tellin' ya!" Guy snapped.

"You do realize Sinestro recruits psychopaths, rapists, and murderers?" Troia asked, "Right?"

"What did ya suddenly become such an expert, toots? Want me ta show ya what kinds of shapes and sizes of construct my little ringy-dingy can whip up?" Guy leered, "Ya already gave it up once ta some slob so ya won't lose yer immortality if you taste the ol' Guy Gardner magic. `Cause I gotta tell ya, alla ya Amazons are smokin' hot!"

Hawkman unclipped his mace from his belt. Guy noticed it, "What's wrong? She yer girlfriend or somethin'?"

"Something like that," Hawkman grated.

"Well `scuse me ta death," Guy sneered, "If ya would've manned up fer her she wouldn't be pantin' after me."

"I think I'm going to be very ill," Donna Troy admitted.

"No wonder they kicked you out of the Green Lantern Corps," Superboy laughed.

"Are ya laughin' at me?" Guy snarled.

"I sure as hell am," Superboy snickered.

The force beam that caught the young clone sent him out to sea far enough over the horizon he disappeared. Wonder Girl flew after him. She found herself joined by Miss Martian, who had discreetly been observing the entire encounter.

"My telepathy will help narrow the search area down," M'gann explained.

"Thanks so much," Cassie Sandsmark said gratefully.

* * *

"Now, do I get ta talk with someone in charge or do I keep puttin' up with yer crap?" Guy challenged Hawkman.

"Carter," Troia warned Hawkman off as his grip tightened on the handle of his mace.

"Har har, I just watched yer balls drop off, ya… _ugh_ ," Guy almost finished saying.

Hawkman had smashed his Nth metal mace over Guy's head. A yellow skewer formed in midair when Guy recovered, "I'm, gonna have me some rotisserie chicken. Too bad it ain't red hot when I shove this poker up yer ass."

Troia swung in front of Guy and punched him in the throat. All he could do was gurgle as his trachea closed up, " _Urk_!"

He slowly sand to his knees as his vision started getting spotty. Donna knelt onto one knee and looked Guy in the eye, "Some of us are a tad psychotic as well."

Silver Swan landed behind Guy. Hawkman turned to the others, "Everyone else, clear out. The situation is under control."

Guy glared at Hawkman and Troia with pure hate. Hawkman was glad he already had Gardner's attention, "Listen up, Guy. The JLU is still under the Legion's control as well as most of the JLI. Deathstroke and his mercenaries are working with us as well as the Injusticers. The Teen Titans and the All Stars have thrown in as well. Still with me?"

Guy barely nodded so Hawkman continued, "Batman has assumed overall command. But if a 'friendly fire' incident were to occur and you were its victim, I don't think even Batman would mourn your loss. Do we have an understanding?"

Guy glared daggers as he nodded. Hawkman added, "So take all the time out here that you need to think about life in general and then join us inside. But I suggest you behave…and watch your back from now on."

Silver Swan accompanied Hawkman and Troia as they reentered the much draftier Hall of Justice. Guy watched them leave. He'd already made one decision regarding friendly fire. He wouldn't be putting up with Hawkman's bullshit for much longer.

* * *

Batman's first declaration divided the house. Rather than abide by Waller's SOP and ROE, he established a new "zero deaths" policy. No one by direct action or inaction could contribute to an opponent's death. Deathstroke led the opposition party. The Injusticer unit leaders followed along and so did Red Hood.

Batman wondered if Jason Todd didn't realize Batman had known who he was since he'd arrived at Wayne Manor to kidnap Bruce Wayne. He also knew Katana was well aware of Red Hood's true identity and she wanted words with him regarding the deaths of the Outsiders. Batman wondered if he should intervene because he doubted Red Hood would survive the conversation.

Nightwing, Wildcat, Dr. Mid-Nite all readily accepted the policy at face value. Nightwing because of who he was. Wildcat and Dr. Mid-Nite because of the Justice Society's proud traditions. And Red Robin because he was the Knight's one true Squire, even if the Knight were too blind to realize it.

Trevor, Nightshade, and Vapor were a little more resistant but not outright opposed. Trevor and Nightshade because they were career government operatives. Vapor because of the losses the JLI had already endured.

Goldilocks and Killer Frost had no say whatsoever. Which left Nyssa. Nyssa seemed acquiescent…or at least until the policy impeded her from pursuing a goal. When Cassandra Cain had revealed Nyssa Raatko's existence to Batman, he'd taken it upon himself to learn all there was to know about her.

While he still didn't know everything, he knew more than she suspected. He knew she was the idealist in the al Ghul family. Ra's was a dreamer but he was ultimately a mass murderer wanting to reshape the world into a flock of worshippers. And it seemed Talia was following in her father's footsteps.

Nyssa actually believed in the ancient mandate of the League for Shadows. Batman could trace seven key epochs where the League had literally saved human civilization from extinction. Nyssa's goal was to maintain balance in the world.

But she would have doomed the state of New Jersey to nuclear destruction in order to fulfill her pact with the Court of Owls. But in the end, she was just as pleased not to have done it. But her willingness to pursue any means to achieve an objective made her the most dangerous member of the al Ghul family.

"This topic is not open to debate," Batman silenced all the arguments.

"Can we agree to petition the United Nations and the World Court to remand any and all prisoners to Stormwatch for incarceration in their Lunar Max?" Nyssa asked.

Waller obviously knew what Nyssa was referring to. Batman himself knew only a dozen people on Earth outside of the Shadow Cabinet and Stormwatch operatives even knew about the agency. And that dozen included Waller, Nyssa, and himself.

Batman didn't quite know how to apply damage control methods to her question. And Nyssa herself seemed inordinately pleased with herself. Batman chose to ignore the question.

"As convicts rot away in prison cells, their hopes diminish and soon they'd gratefully accept any punishment in exchange for an hour of freedom," Batman stated, "Apply that to your personal brand of justice, Slade."

"Preventing loss of life requires an investment of time, effort, and difficulty," Deathstroke argued, "Three quantities which are negotiable currency."

"Just submit your bill," Waller said wearily, "It'll be paid. But if you break the ROE you'll forfeit any pay above your already contracted rate."

"Just so we have an understanding," Deathstroke conceded.

The Injusticer chieftains all turned to Nyssa. She nodded her assent. So they were now committed as well.

"Next order of business, where will the Legion strike next?" Batman asked.

All eyes turned to Goldilocks. She sighed, "In my past they went in a dozen directions at once. But they'd also been more successful up until now. I'm afraid my usefulness as an event coordinator is over. But I'm a reliable character witness regarding the three Legionnaires."

"Given the Legion's proven record, they will seek out international assets to recruit or brainwash into assisting them," Nyssa boldly stated.

"I suppose you have a list of candidates," Batman dryly surmised.

"Am I really that predictable?" Nyssa smirked.

"Present your list of candidates and we'll review them," Batman offered.

She'd been given access to the Wi-Fi network so she uploaded her files. Even the encrypted ones.

* * *

Afterwards, Sue relieved Ralph as Elongated Man began describing unfolding events, "The Rogues and members of the Legion are striking out at Blackgate and Belle Reeve."

"Following the Legion code of liberating incarcerated members," Batman acknowledged the news.

"So…aren't we going to do something about it?" Ralph asked.

All eyes fell on Batman. He didn't even flinch as he answered, "No. the disruption and loss of manpower will give us an advantage when the Legion makes its true move and we can target Saturn Queen, Lightning Lord, and Cosmic King,. They're the true threats. We deal with them and send them back to their future and then everything else will quickly resolve itself. So until those three are on scene, separately or together, we wait."


	15. Chapter 15

29

Anna Fortune checked on Black Mary. Mary had insisted she didn't belong in the Marvel Family anymore and took on a similar pseudonym as Black Adam. Afterwards she'd regressed into, what seemed to be, thoughtful silence afterwards. But Anna just knew their teammates were still in mortal danger so she'd chosen the time to interrupt Mary's thinking.

"How are you doing?" Anna inquired.

Mary sat, staring at her newly acquired gloves and boots, "I still find the costume change startling."

"A change indicative of that within you," Anna supposed, "It is my understanding that some recess within your heart establishes what your Marvel outfit shall be."

"You mean I chose to wear this?" Mary was appalled by the idea. It stank of Mistress Mary's influence.

"Not in so many words or intentions," Anna sought to clarify, "Shazam spoke of his chosen recipients as mapping out a general impression within their minds. Black Adam did not always wear his current garb. But when he was reborn in this era, he had seen Captain Marvel in action and therefore subconsciously emulated him. And to be frank, your brother idolized Superman so when Shazam originally chose him, William sought to become his idol."

"The only Marvel I ever saw wearing this kind of outfit was Mistress Mary and I don't want to become her," Mary was getting angry now.

"You don't wish to but your fear is that you are becoming Mistress Mary. Therefore your heart manifested attire that would remind you of that you did not wish to emulate and therefore Black Mary was born," Anna explained in one fell swoop.

"So this is my mind putting the brakes on?" Mary wasn't certain she quite believed that theory.

"Essentially," Anna concurred, "You know your heart better than anyone. Tell me, do you secretly wish to be Mistress Mary or do you want a visible reminder of what you could easily become so that you avoid doing so?"

Mary looked hurt that Anna could suggest she could ever be Mistress Mary. Anna took hold of Mary's upper arm, "I too saw the predator we knew as Mistress Mary. You are not that wretched sadist. But you have started down a path that could lead to transforming into her. So take heart that you haven't already done so and take heed that you do not."

"But I still want to kill Johnny Sorrow," Mary replied, "And I wanted to do…things to him and have him do things to me. Things I'd never even thought of before."

"Yet every woman of a certain age thinks these things when it comes to a man…or a woman if such is their nature. You have just always been an innocent in affairs of the heart," Anna consoled Mary, "But your Egyptian benefactors have little regard for innocence so they will enflame the passions of your heart. Just as they obviously did with Mistress Mary. So once again it comes down to making choices of whether or not to allow the gods to rule your life or to forge your own destiny and employ the gifts they give you rather than be used by them."

"Did you have to make this kind of choice when you became an Agent of Order?" Mary wondered.

"In a sense," Anna confided, "I too was consumed with anger and rage over the injustices my family and I had been forced to endure ever since the Northern states forced the South into seceding. Nabu offered me an outlet for that rage, a focus with which to harness the anger and utilize it to build rather than destroy. But that choice came with a steep price. One I must pay every day."

"What kind of price?" Mary was slightly alarmed now.

"Consider the Lords of Order. They will achieve their ends at any cost to those less than themselves. Jack the Ripper was a fellow Agent of Order. We consider him to be a monster. But the Lords of Order have hallowed his name for ending a Chaos born plague carried by Jack's victims. They didn't know they'd bedded Agents of Chaos and been infected with a supernatural plague but the Lords of Order decided to kill off the carriers rather than risk a war with Chaos," Anna revealed, "My cost is a private penance that I must bear alone. I shan't talk of it further but each of us has our personal demons. You've discovered yours just as untold billions have discovered theirs before you."

"Why does there have to be a price at all?" Mary wondered.

"Mary, all aspects of life come at great cost. The food you eat, whether animal or vegetable, comes at the cost of another's life. No matter what you do in this life it comes with a great price," Anna posed the thought.

"But what could it possibly be beyond the obvious?" Mary questioned her.

"Consider how these changes will affect your relationship with your own brother. It is already strained by the burden of the knowledge you brought back from Earth-3. You wonder if there is a little of Mistress Mary and her insatiable sexual appetites towards her own brother that dwells within you. Now that you've stepped closer to wearing her boots, as it were, you will ask yourself the same with greater intensity," Anna predicted, "And what of Mr. Freeman? He loves you like a sister. But can he accept you as you are or only as he'd perceived you? You know neither of them has ever accepted the Black Marvel Families' role in the cause of justice."

"I…never thought about it," Mary confessed.

"Nor have you wanted to," Anna chided her, "It is a topic you'd prefer to avoid."

"This isn't fair!" Mary angrily protested.

"Little in our lives would be labeled as 'fair' were we to reflect upon them," Anna grew philosophical, "But consider this recompense. You are gifted with four equal measures of power from various gods. This makes you the mightiest Marvel in this or any other universe. I doubt Superman himself could defeat you in a physical struggle."

"I never asked for this," Mary said sullenly.

"Yet you revel in it," Anna pointed out the obvious, "If Shazam were to remove your gifts now, you would be lost. You may even go so far as to attempt anything in which to retrieve them."

"I don't want to be bad," Mary admitted.

"Yet a sociopath is born when that individual faces a choice of right and wrong and cares not one whit what the price of the evil will be for others and themselves," Anna pointed out, "You will reach that decision making point countless times from now until you die. The true test isn't being faced with the choice but rather how, and most importantly, why you choose what you do."

"How did you learn all of this?" Mary's divinely augmented wisdom told her the underlying truth behind Anna's statements.

"Through the experience of walking a similar path for similar reasons," Anna shared, "A path filled with as many regrettable incidents as commendable ones."

"Yet you're still an Agent of Order," Mary reflected.

"Order can be established through varying means," Anna divulged, "Some are uglier than others but they're also more expedient. I serve Order's cause but I haven't always championed mercy. That onerous truth is part of what I must bear."

"Anna…how many people have you killed in the name of Order?" Mary tentatively asked.

"More than both atomic bombs dropped upon Japan," Anna sighed, "But it was in the service of higher powers. Yet the weight of those actions threatens to crush my heart despite the official blessings and commendations I received for doing so."

Mary could hear the despair in Anna's voice, "You haven't ever told anyone…not even Al."

"Excellent deduction," Anna commended Mary.

"Anna, just how many secrets do you have?" Mary asked.

"Don't. Ever. Ask. That," Anna warned, "Order prizes their secrets above all else. If I were to lay out a litany of the things I have done in their name I would be forced to erase your memory. Not just the memories of my confession but everything about whom and what you are. And Shazam would be the one to tell me how to do it."

Mary suddenly felt a cold chill in her spine, "I can't say I understand but I accept your warning. Do you think we should rejoin the fight against Sorrow?"

"You tell me," Anna deferred to Mary's estimation.

"I have no idea of how I'll react when I see him again," Mary readily confessed, "But it's time I chose to help my teammates…if they'll still have me."

"I have few doubts about them," Anna admitted, "Save a small pocket of intolerance that seems to color a few individuals."

Mary sighed, "I'll deal with Jesse and Rick when the time comes."

Anna slipped her goggles back down and surveyed the landscape. Mary asked what she'd seen when she completed a full 360 degree sweep. Anna didn't like whatever it had been.

"The aether trails lead in opposing directions," Anna said.

"The what?" Mary hadn't heard that term before so Anna explained it to her. Mary thought about it, "I'm not splitting up. Not after finally meeting up with people again."

"Then choose which trail you wish to pursue first," Anna urged.

"Who is closer?" Mary asked.

Anna pointed and Mary decided, "We go to him. And we'll find out if it's Billy or Freddy."

"Then by all means, after you," Anna chuckled.

"Um…you're the one that can see which direction to go in," Mary pointed out.

Anna affixed her goggles again, "So I am. Fancy that."

Mary knew Anna was teasing her by that point. Still they kept pace with one another as they headed across the vast stretch of wasteland. And neither of them knew who or what to expect.

* * *

Captain Marvel Jr. was way past wondering if this dimension could ever run out of demons. He'd tried being merciful at first but his downed enemies just got back into the fight as soon as they awoke. Figuring a demon was a demon for a reason, Junior started tearing them from limb to limb. And with the Speed of Mercury and the Strength of Hercules he could tear apart a vast army in a short while.

Thanks to the endurance bequeathed to him by Atlas, Junior never tired and never faltered. But it did get bone achingly tedious. So as he fought a seemingly endless army, Junior knew he either had to break away from this vast cluster of enemeies or simply find a more efficient means to kill even more of them at once.

* * *

"Look out!" Captain Marvel warned Stargirl.

Courtney Whitmore ducked as Captain Marvel caved a demon's head in with a single blow as it had tried to attack Stargirl. Stargirl kept blasting away with both her Cosmic Rod and Cosmic Convertor Belt. Captain started swirling around in an ever expanding circle, smashing demons as he accelerated.

Finally he dropped back and joined Stargirl. He'd carved out a mile wide buffer in every direction. Stargirl felt it was time to bring up an important topic.

"Billy, I can't keep doing this. I need a break," Stargirl pleaded.

"Okay, follow me," he flew off in a seemingly random direction.

Stargirl followed and wondered why the demon horde didn't pursue them. Eventually Captain Marvel stopped in midair and pointed to the distance, "There! We can take shelter there."

"Um…where again?" Stargirl knew his eyes were magically enhanced but this was ridiculous. She couldn't see a thing.

"Just follow me," Captain Marvel urged her on.

They finally arrived at a decrepit structure situated alongside broken walls stretching across the countryside. Captain Marvel inspected it, "I think it must have been some kind of fort."

"You're sure it's deserted?" Courtney was feeling wary.

"Pretty sure. Nothing's moving outside," he strolled inside and called out, "Or in here!"

"There could still be a nest of critters waiting for us inside this wreck," Stargirl kept her Cosmic Rod poised and ready.

"Have a little faith," Captain Marvel chuckled.

* * *

They explored the whole thing. It was only populated by inhuman skeletons. Stargirl was finally ready to concede the point.

"You got luck, Batson," Courtney accused, "How'd you even know this was out here?"

"I didn't," Captain Marvel admitted, "Like you said, it was luck."

Stargirl used the Cosmic Rod to superheat some stones that had been thrown through the walls, "Hate to meet the guys that lobbed these mothers."

"Well that'll provide some heat and light. Which is good. It'll be dark soon," Captain Marvel shared.

"How do you know?" Courtney wondered.

"Because it took this long to get dark yesterday," Captain Marvel said as if it were completely obvious.

"There's still no food or water," Stargirl pointed, "You don't need either in your Marvel form but I kinda do."

"Trust me, I'll find some," Captain Marvel promised, "You just have to have…"

"Faith," Stargirl interrupted, "Yah, yah…just scoot already."

"I'll be right back," Captain Marvel vanished in a blur.

* * *

He returned some time later with several sticks and a dozen large to medium sized lizards, "Sorry, it's all I could find."

"It's edible…I guess," Stargirl looked grossed out. Which she was, "I'll fry them on the rocks."

He handed her an obsidian stone, "This'll make a good knife and the sticks can be made into skewers after you skin the lizards."

"Sure, why not? Everything taste like chicken, right? Even demon lizards," Stargirl was teetering on hysteria.

"Look, I found water but I need to make a container to carry it," Captain Marvel told her, "Will you be okay until I get back?"

"Sure, I'm the bad ass that killed the King of Tears," Stargirl settled down, "What else can this dimension possibly throw at me?"

"Exactly," Captain Marvel kissed her forehead and then whooshed away again.

"How `bout more kisses and less flying off?" Stargirl grumbled as she settled down to skin some lizards. She discovered it was every bit as disgusting as she's assumed it would be.

* * *

Captain Marvel came back much more slowly this time. He had a tortoise shell shaped wooden bowl the size of a small swimming pool, "You should see the lake this came out of."

"You carved that?" Stargirl was impressed.

"And these," he handed her two wooden bowls, "I went for cups but that would just take too long."

"How do you know this stuff?" Stargirl had to ask.

"Um…I never told about when I was a Boy Scout?" Captain Marvel hesitated.

"Nope," Stargirl smirked at seeing him caught.

"It's simple enough anyway," Captain Marvel chose to change the subject.

"I guess you really do have the Wisdom of Solomon," Stargirl just kept grinning.

"I see you have the lizards frying up," Captain Marvel observed.

"Yup. The Cosmic Convertor Belt channeled energy through my gloves so it got rid of the ick," Stargirl explained.

"I suppose its best I stay in my Marvel form in case something nasty does show up," Captain Marvel suggested.

"Coward," Stargirl snorted, "You're just wussin' out on eating fried lizards."

"Hey, more for you," Captain Marvel grinned.

"Pussy," Stargirl made certain a lizard was well done before eating it, "Oh God, if I wouldn't starve to death I'd never eat another one."

She was sitting on a rock but Captain Marvel unclasped his cape and laid it out. Courtney was using a bowl to drink some water, "That for me?"

"This way you won't have to sleep on the dirt," he offered.

"Or at least half of me won't," Stargirl kissed his cheek, "Thanks, Billy. You're taking such good care of me. I suck at the whole camping fiasco."

"It can't be that bad," Captain Marvel cajoled her.

"Pat tells this story better than I do but the fam went on vacay last year and it started out…" Stargirl told her stories until it got dark. And then she laid down. Rather than watch the horizon, Captain Marvel studied Stargirl. And thought everything was right on schedule.

* * *

Mr. Terrific crested yet another sand dune. In the distance stretched a rock outcropping. And it appeared it was buried in dirt rather than sand. Rocks and dirt stood a better chance of capturing water than desolate and porous sand.

It took time to reach it but Mr. Terrific scraped up some dirt and pressed it to his lips. He found it to be moist. So he searched and gathered up some flat rocks to use as spades. Digging, he estimated that he would strike pooled water within three to four feet.

If not he would just continue to dig until he found water or he became so dehydrated by his exertions that he passed out. Either scenario ended his tribulations.

* * *

Sentinel, like Junior, faced incalculable hordes. But unlike the Marvel, who relied upon brawn and stamina, Sentinel had a magic power ring. A power ring that could create any type of construct Alan Scott had the will and imagination to create.

And unlike Junior, Sentinel had fought Nazis and the Japanese Imperial Forces so he had a depth of insight into the means and mechanisms of warfare that even Achilles couldn't grant the Marvel Family. But Alan Scott had been an engineer before becoming a media mogul so he recognized the necessity of certain design principles.

So Sentinel easily slaughtered hundreds of demons simultaneously. Then he graduated to thousands and just kept escalating from there.

* * *

Flash literally deconstructed a demon fort similar to the one occupied by Captain Marvel and Stargirl. Jay Garrick had been a chemist by profession before unlocking the Speed Force. So he easily spotted natural processes of budding chemical interaction and decay. And after he toppled the fort, he used the flat of his hands combined with super speed to slice demon soldiers apart.

After Flash headed into the distance. As he raced along he discovered that there was marginal life within the Subtle Realms and its varying topography. The All Stars had arrived in a desolate zone and travelled through barren wastelands. But the more flourishing an area was the greater concentration of demonic occupants it possessed.

And the regions seemed to be divided into mini-kingdoms separated by the rock fence line fortifications nearly identical to Hadrian's Wall in Scotland. As he tore his way through these fence walls, he knew he was facing two realities. Eventually he was going to tire before or after it turned dark again. And he needed food and water. He'd needed it for some time now.

As Flash tore across the vast landscape he saw greater amount of vegetation existing nearer to the vast mountain range that had arisen as he traveled further afield. He decided to head for the mountains. The plants indicated there was water available and if there was it was probably nearer to the mountains.

Flash covered hundreds of miles in mere minutes and came across the rivers and lake that Captain Marvel had found earlier. And he discovered the lizards populating the rocks. Quickly building a fire, Flash skinned the captured prey with a rock flattened to an edge. And he skewered them before roasting them over an open fire. Unlike Captain Marvel's claims, Jay Garrick actually had been a boy scout.

* * *

Sand used his gas gun to try and breach the hourglass' seals but his plan failed. So he became actual sand and filtered down to the lower glass bulb of the hourglass he occupied. He had no means of determining how close to the ground whatever level he currently occupied actually was. His faint hope was that his control over soil and sediment could reach out and control the terra firma beneath the castle. And if it did, he'd break himself free.

* * *

Hourman resisted the urge to utilize one of his last two Miraclo doses. Instead he fought the demon patrol to a standstill. Then they began brandishing weapons. Hourman took an axe and a shield from one soldier. He'd almost decimated the demon patrol when a second foot patrol came upon him.

Hourman fought well but he was tiring and he knew it. He had almost activated his injector to deliver his third dose of Miraclo when a demon in the rear of the column began attacking other demons. Hourman couldn't fathom why it was doing so until it threw back its cloak and revealed itself to actually be Judomaster in disguise.

Feeling renewed vigor, Hourman kept from injecting any doses while Judomaster almost singlehandedly wiped out the second patrol. Hourman expressed gratitude, "Thanks. I had no idea that was you until you threw back your cowl."

"Neither did they from what I could tell while marching with them," Judomaster explained in her stilted English, "But I understood that they were to follow this canyon and meet with a larger army headed towards the castle we have already been at."

"How do you know it's the same one?" Hourman asked.

"The spoke of _the_ castle. Singular. The demon barons that control the outer regions only dwell in garrisons and forts. And they never stay at any one place for any length of time." Judomaster shared what she had learned.

"Because their rivals would attack," Hourman understood the subtext.

"I suggest we climb down to the canyon and use it as a road. We will probably avoid most of the patrols that way," Judomaster suggested.

"Do you know where anyone else is?" Hourman asked.

She knew he specifically meant Jesse Quick just as her heart and mind wanted reassurance regarding Commander Steel's well being. And more than that…Sonia Sato knew she had reached the point where she needed to reveal the depth of her feelings for Hank Heywood III. And if he was already dead, she'd never forgive herself.

"No, I do not," Judomaster unhappily shared, "But I would guess everyone will seek to return to Johnny Sorrow's castle. We need to rendezvous there."

"Okay, it's a plan," Hourman agreed, "But we're in for a helluva climb. Trust me, I climbed out of there."

"Then you should be an expert on climbing down," Judomaster began her descent while Hourman marveled at being sassed by Judomaster. It seemed everyone's reticent teammate was going to come out of her shell after all.

* * *

Jesse stumbled, rolled, and came up in a fighting stance. The leading Hellhound tried to pounce upon her, but she sliced his side open and disemboweled it. Then she used a super speed chop to decapitate its rider. The other riders heeled their hounds.

"So, you have fangs after all," the troupe leader said approvingly, "Good. You'll make fair sport after all."

"You really have no idea," Jesse promised them.

* * *

Commander Steel stood atop a rock spire created by unknown geological forces. He waved down the passing Atom Smasher. Atom Smasher stretched out his hand and Commander Steel accepted a lift to Atom Smasher's shoulder. Then he situated himself for the ride ahead.

"I'm glad you came along," Commander Steel confessed.

"Don't take this wrong, I'm happy to see anyone, but I'd prefer it if you were someone else," Atom Smasher admitted.

"I know what you mean. I can't stop thinking about Sonia," Commander Steel shared.

The mention of Judomaster's name just made Al Rothstein worry again. Anna and Johnny Sorrow made hatred seem cordial. Anna and Sorrow redefined enmity. The battle between them had moved beyond personal. Now it was almost psychotic. And for all he knew, Sorrow still had Anna locked up in that distant castle.

"Take `er away, Al," Commander Steel urged.

"Trust me, Hank. We'll see our girls again. Before or after we finally rip Sorrow's head clean off," Atom Smasher promised.

* * *

Aztek blew a hole through the demon horde's ranks and he flew off over the horizon. But he could hear the howls, screeches, and screams of the demons pursuing him. All the while he searched for some landmark or anything to denote where the All Stars had been, or currently were. And he thought of Mary. Of whether she was still Mary Marvel or something different? And more importantly, was she still a friend or a newly acquired foe?

* * *

A dozen acid scalded hellhounds exited the ice cave, thereby leaving Metamorpho all alone. He could hear their whimpers and screams as the winds tore apart their ravaged bodies. Seeing as how they'd attempted to eat him, Metamorpho wasn't remotely sorry. But he was content to hunker down and wait out the wretched storm. He just hoped it would actually end.

* * *

A severe weather front closed in on Blackgate prison. It covered half of Gotham but it was the most powerful over the prison. Lightning flashed, striking out all across the prison and its grounds. The prison lost all power and communications as lightning destroyed its nearby transformer station. But the GCPD quickly realized it was a localized event. Commissioner Barbara Gordon quickly escalated the matter up to Homeland Security and ARGUS since some of the inmates were classified as weapons of mass destruction. But oddly, in Barbara's opinion, ARGUS was refusing to deploy the JLA. She'd just fervently wished Bruce was smart enough to avoid the area altogether.

Weather Wizard had created an "eye" to the intensity that surrounded the Rogues.

"You're really starting to get the hang of that weather wand," Mirror Master congratulated him. It had been less than six months since the original Weather Wizard had died and Mirror Master had recruited a replacement.

Weather Wizard had sat out the Rogues' last mission because there weren't enough elements for the weather wand to work with underground in tunnels and caverns, "Don't talk to me about competence. Our credit card scheme went bust because you let yourself be caught."

"Everybody's a whiner," Mirror Master complained.

"Hold up," Captain Cold said as red teleport flashes appeared before, "Those aren't ISA. So let's see who they're sending after us."

"Do-gooders," Heat Wave spat.

"I know some of these people," Captain Cold realized, "And most of have worked beside Deadshot."

"Who are they?" Pied Piper wondered.

"The flaming lady with wings is called Firehawk. She was gal pal of Firestorm until she killed a couple dozen people. She turned out to be some Senator's daughter so she got life instead of a lethal injection," Captain Cold began his description, "Two of the guys dressed rather cape-like are Puzzler and Savant. They each gave Superman a run for his money. Supes had to bring Batman into it before he could outwit either of them. Mr. Army Man is a mystery to me."

"I'll sit this out. I need to focus on controlling this weather system," Weather Wizard pointed out.

"That's all right. We've got this," Captain Cold assured him.

"Len, you don't suppose they've got the Suicide Squad up and running again?" Heat Wave asked.

"No, but that's where I saw Army Man. He ran the squad," Captain Cold remembered, "But none of Luthor's insiders have mentioned a revived Task Force X."

"Maybe he's been told and he just isn't sharing," Heat Wave theorized.

"Could be," Captain Cold said wearily.

* * *

Colonel Rick Flagg of ARGUS was also the former field commander of Task Force X. Now he was the King of Checkmate. Amanda Waller and General Wade Eiling served as the Grandmasters. Checkmate's hierarchy also included a Queen, two Bishops, two Rooks, the field agents were the Knights, and there were countless Pawns across the world.

Flagg warned off the Rogues, "Stay back or we will engage you. We have clearance to terminate any and all threats to this facility."

Captain Cold turned to his fellow Rogues, "Pick your targets and deal with these self righteous pricks. Army Man is mine."

Flagg fired warning shots at Captain Cold. Leonard Snart adjusted the beam on his cryoblaster. Widening the dispersal and shortening the range, he froze the moisture in the air in front of him. Flagg buried bullets into the ice while Captain Cold reset his weapon again.

Captain Cold moved away while Flagg shot grenades into the ice barrier, thereby shattering it. Captain Cold had noticed Flagg was sporting some very next gen stuff that even the military didn't have access to yet. He wondered how Flagg's assault rifle would hold up at hundreds of degrees below zero. So he took aim and found out. The rifle shattered in Flagg's hands when he reacquired visual sight of Cold again and tried to shoot him.

Fortunately the gun powder of the shattering bullet hadn't ignited. Captain Cold took the moment's victory to recall a briefing Grodd had held regarding the Suicide Squad. Task Force X had originally been a military special ops outfit led by a Major Rick Flagg. CADMUS had absorbed it after the military shut down when only two survivors returned from their final mission.

CADMUS had reformulated the Suicide Squad into a operations team composed of super villains either working to lighten their sentence from death row to life with a chance of parole or had earned a lighter sentence had were looking for clemency. But everything had to be earned. Dozens of prospective members had failed and been sent back to prison. But others, those that survived the "one-way" missions, had earned clemency before the Suicide Squad was deactivated once again by ARGUS.

The Legion hadn't uncovered what became of those people. Psi, King Shark, El Diablo, Black Spider, and Shrapnel had all served in the Suicide Squad. But they hadn't served long enough to earn anything other than a reprieve from their death sentences. So they had been looking at being returned to prison with life sentences with no chance of parole when the Legion recruited them.

The man before Captain Cold wore some kind of specialized uniform but he still bore a blackened shoulder patch and a darkened rank insignia that Captain Cold could have sworn was that of a full bird colonel. So he assumed his opponent was still Rick Flagg after having climbed a few more ranks.

Flagg had led every Suicide Squad mission before the super villain days. And had led the initial super villain missions with his infiltration of the JLU's era Watchtower space station to steal the mythical Destroyer armor being the first op. Which meant Flagg was going to be a difficult son of a bitch about this.

So Captain Cold lobbed one of his cold generating grenades at Flagg. The resultant cold wave lightly iced Flagg over. He'd enjoy a nice hibernation until they thawed him out.

* * *

Pied Piper played his flute for Savant. As expected, Savant's eyes began to glaze over. But then unexpectedly, Savant became fully alert.

Pied Piper played furiously but Savant steadily advanced on him. Piper could see electrical discharges coming from Savant's gloves. So they were a stun glove variant of tasers and electrical stun guns. All Savant had to do was grip any part of Pied Piper's body and he'd be knocked out.

But Pied Piper panicked as Savant came within reach and he began wildly swinging his flute like it was a bat of some kind. He cracked Savant's head and arms several times while Savant protested, "Ow! Ow! Ow! Hey! Quit it! Ow!"

"Why didn't my music work on you?" Pied Piper was in a panic after his music had also failed to influence Enigma.

"Because I'm wearing ear plugs that work as acoustic filters," Savant yelled between blows, "I can't even hear you play."

"Really?" Pied Piper suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Now I've got…" Savant froze over before he could finish that sentence.

"Thanks, Len," Pied Piper cheerfully offered Captain Cold.

"Let's check on the others," Captain Cold was all business.

* * *

"Really?" Firehawk was incredulous, "You're going to use a thermal weapon on me?"

As she lifted into the air and spread her wings, the air around Heat Wave sparkled and then coalesced into being a steel cage. He rattled the bars and then warily watched Firehawk as she floated in midair. She was more than highly amused.

"I don't think you quite get it. I survived a nuclear accident. The same kind that created Firestorm and Multiplex. And, just like they used Firestorm to create more like him, they used me as a template to create international Firehawks. We're one big nuclear family," she enjoyed her joke even though Heat Wave just glared at her.

He took aim at the cage's bars and melted them. With his insulated suit on, he didn't have to worry about the slag as he exited the ruined cage. Then he shot Firehawk in the chest.

She landed onto her feet and temporarily looked slightly stunned. But then she grew angry, "Now you've cheesed me off, pal."

She went airborne and Heat Wave volleyed shots at her forcing to climber higher. Eventually she was struck by several bolts of lightning simultaneously. She hit the ground and didn't move.

"Brilliant work, Mick," Captain Cold congratulated his frequent partner.

"Uh…guys? Can we bond later?" Pied Piper asked.

"Back to work," Captain Cold urged them on.

* * *

Deadshot used an even more advanced rifle customized to his exact needs. The specialized rounds could be felt even by Superman. Yet it wasn't doing him the slightest good against Mirror Master.

Mirror Master had come prepared for large volumes of gunfire. His adapted mirror was brandished like a shield. He felt like a movie adaptation of a World War II superhero. In modern days, the Guardian utilized a similar shield but his lacked the reverse kinetic properties of Mirror Master's. It could literally reflect any solid object back to where it originated.

So Deadshot eventually tired of effectively shooting at himself. He spotted the approach of Captain Cold and some other Rogues. So he stepped out of the equation.

"Hey! Lookit that! I chased him off," Mirror Master was unduly proud of himself.

"Floyd Lawton doesn't retreat. He repositions," Captain Cold warned him, "Everyone; keep an eye out for Deadshot. He could come at us from anywhere."

* * *

Puzzler quickly worked out the Trickster's entire shtick and his inventory within his bag of tricks. After tricking the Trickster into handing over his bag, Puzzler barraged Trickster with itching powder, sneezing powder, electric joy buzzers, and knockout agent laden fake vomit. He'd also tossed aside Trickster's revolver. He thought the sparklers in the bag might prove useful in thawing out Savant and Flagg.

He left Trickster to his own devices while he stole away to evade the Rogues. Trickster begged them, "Makeitstop! Makieitstop! Puhleasemakitstop!" as he scratched and sneezed away.

"Why do we keep him?" Heat Wave asked again.

"Aw…he's like our mascot," Pied Piper put forth.

"Just bring him along," Captain Cold sighed.

* * *

Weather Wizard found a high velocity bullet shattering the upper orb of his barbell-like weather wand. The next bullet went through his right thigh, and the impact knocked him off of his feet. Deadshot put another bullet through Weather Wizard's left calf.

"Shut the storm down," Deadshot ordered.

"You do realize you just destroyed the only mechanism within hundreds of miles even capable of doing that?" Weather Wizard sneered.

Puzzler joined them, "I think I can thaw out Flagg and Savant."

"I'll revive Firehawk and give the bastards a proper reception," Deadshot declared.

"We're not following them?" Puzzler was confused.

"That prison is about to turn into one massive kill zone," Deadshot explained, "Personally, I don't want to be caught in it."

"Okay, we'll go with your plan," Puzzler hurried off.

"Why, thank you," Deadshot scornfully replied after Puzzler had run away.

* * *

Heat Wave made the main gate red hot before Captain Cold froze it. The steel shattered like brittle glass. Mirror Master led the charge into the prison corridors. It took the guards a while before they determined all of their own bullets were coming back at them. They'd lost over a dozen men and women before that happened though.

So they drew their batons and prepared to fight close quarters. Heat Wave shot a sustained thermal blast over their heads. The fire suppression system detected the unusual heat and triggered the sprinklers. Captain Cold let the water soak the guards before freezing it…and the guards themselves.

They repeated these steps as necessary until they reached the fist cell block. Captain Cold turned to the Pied Piper, "I need a prisoner manifest."

"Be right back," Pied Piper volunteered.

Trickster was coming unglued as the victim of his own brand of pranks. Captain Cold grew very stern with him, "Trickster, I need you to guard this corridor. Can you do that?"

The strange utterance that came out of Trickster could have been either "sure thing" or a "go screw yourself". There really wasn't any way to know. Pied Piper returned.

"The warden was very helpful," Pied Piper boasted.

"Scudder, we need to move forward," Captain Cold ordered Mirror Master.

"Sure thing but my mirror shield is unidirectional. I can only block one threat at a time," Mirror Master warned them all.

"Heat Wave, you and I will watch the catwalks," Captain Cold determined.

They traversed several cell blocks before Captain Cold called a halt, "We have a problem. The meta-human block is independent of the rest."

"Meaning?" Heat Wave was getting exasperated by the endless guards.

"They have their own guard detail and power resources. It's probably the only wing left that still has power," Captain Cold predicted, "They're completely independent despite being built into the prison's interior."

"Good thing those Injusticer clowns already trashed the place," Mirror Master opined, "We'd be here forever otherwise."

He nodded towards the entrance to the meta block. As predicted the lights were on. But the large vault-like door was off of its hinges. Captain Cold knew Mirror Master had been right. Getting through that door would have cost valuable minutes. Because it was only a matter of time before Flagg's unit received reinforcements.

"Let's hit it!" Captain Cold shouted as the four Rogues charged the last guards standing after a brief but decidedly vicious encounter. Captain Cold studied the cell lock control panel, "Piper, you find the prisoners on our list. Call out the cell number and I'll release the door. Funnel everyone this way."

Captain Cold retrieved an access card from the supervising watch commander and unlocked the control panel. Then he looked around, "Where the hell is the Trickster?"

"We left him behind, remember?" Mirror Master told him, "Even for him he was off and that's saying something."

Pied Piper called out a cell number and Captain Cold liberated Half-Ape. Half-Ape preferred staying with Pied Piper just in case of technical issues that could arise. The Brain rolled out of the next cell. Mallah doted him after being released.

"Ah _ma Cherie_ , it is wonderful having your chassis in my arms again," Mallah cooed.

Captain Cold and Heat Wave exchanged pained looks. Brain urged Mallah to exit with him and the ape thought it was a delightful plan. Toyman and Black Mass were next out of their cells.

Black Mass wanted his gravity bands and Toyman was petulant about wanting his mask. Pied Piper promised them Heat Wave would lead them to the personals lockers. Mick Rory was less than pleased when he found that out.

"Just do it," Captain Cold groaned.

"Follow me and try to keep up," Heat Wave waved for Toyman and Black Mass to follow him.

Pied Piper had Captain Cold unlock Hector Hammond's cell. Hammond retained his life support hover chair but he was attached to a psychokinetic inhibitor. Half-Ape did the honors of disconnecting and dismantling the system. Hammond floated out of his cell with vengeance in his eyes.

Pied Piper double checked the list. All the Legionnaires on it had already been released. That just left the rest of the Brotherhood of Evil.

Phobia was the first one out. Her cool disdain and aloof manner made Pied Piper want to return her to her cell. But Brainiac had been very clear. The Legion's new masters wanted everyone freed unless there was no option to do so.

Houngan wanted to know the location of his cyber-voodoo doll. Half-Ape gave him the bad news, "The San Francisco police bragged about how Superboy dismantled your doll down to its base components. I'm afraid you'll have to build a fresh one."

"He will pay," Houngan promised.

"I'm sure he will," Half-Ape replied. Fortunately, his half simian features made him incredibly stoic looking. But Pied Piper had fully caught the sarcasm behind his words.

Mammoth was in a standing position, with every limb locked down and restrained by titanium bands. It took an additional keypad entry to fully release him. Half-Ape was just pleased with himself that it had only taken four attempts to deduce the combination.

"Where's Selinda?" Mammoth asked.

"Next door down," Pied Piper called the cell number and the door opened to reveal Shimmer held in a stasis field so she couldn't get close enough to the door or walls to transmute them to other elements.

Mammoth pulled her out of the field and brother and sister were gratefully reunited. Half-Ape gave them wide berth as they left, "Are we done?"

"One last remaining," Pied Piper studied the list.

Gemini was the only Legionnaire or Brotherhood member who wasn't bitter. She seemed reflective. Pied Piper began to doubt she'd even leave with them.

"So, we're done here?" she asked.

"You're the last," Pied Piper answered.

"What about the other prisoners?" Gemini wondered.

"The Legion isn't in the business of freebies," Pied Piper replied.

"They could be a distraction," Gemini argued.

"They already are," Pied Piper stated.

Gemini's cheeks burned.

* * *

"We're making a clean exit," Captain Cold announced, "Just follow the Mirror Master single file and we'll be fine."

Captain Cold pulled Pied Piper aside, "You go ahead and see if you can find the damn Trickster."

Pied Piper jogged ahead.

Heat Wave had already located the former James Jesse. But that personality had wandered far off the reservation. Trickster was now calling himself Winslow Warshaski, Polish Prime Minister to the stars. But at least Black Mass and Toyman had found what they were searching for.

"I don't know, Len," Heat Wave said to Captain Cold. The whole column had stopped over the matter, "Maybe we should leave him behind."

"Somewhere in there James Jesse knows about OmniTech," Captain Cold reminded him, "How long do you think Saturn Queen, Lightning Lord, and Cosmic King are going to let him run loose even if his marbles are completely scrambled?"

"I got this," Pied Piper played next to Trickster just loud enough for him and him alone to hear.

The group exited outside to be buffeted by the storm. Captain Cold scowled, "They must have bagged Weather Wizard."

Mechanized suits of armor came towards them from four sides. Mirror Master didn't know which way to point his shield. Captain Cold helped him out on that.

"Keep that aimed at Deadshot!" Captain Cold demanded, "We can't give Lawton a clean target."

Captain Cold activated the boom tube and the others rushed in. Mirror Master backed towards it while Heat Wave and Captain Cold flanked him and opened fire at the Black Razors. They barely made it inside before the Black Razor units decimated the ground where they'd stood.

The Black Razors each popped their access hatches to reveal two man crews manning each armored unit. The Black Razor lead apologized to Flagg, "Sorry Colonel. With more time and prep maybe we could've actually made a difference."

"Don't feel bad Lieutenant. They got the drop on most of our Checkmate assets as well. If it hadn't been for Deadshot and Puzzler calling it in, we wouldn't have even kept our single prisoner," Flagg assured him, "Any word on our second team?"

"ARGUS communications is stating they've engaged the enemy. Another Black Razor unit has been deployed to Belle Reeve as well," the Lieutenant reported.

"God help them," Flagg wished them luck.

* * *

The Legion had arrived outside of Belle Reeve in force. As the alarms were raised, Giganta marched around the prison yards and knocked over guard towers. Sparrow Hawk brutally dealt with guards on the rooftops. Volcana forced the guards into a retreat by creating an ever lengthening spear point of flames. King Shark ripped open any doors the guards managed to close before Volcana forced them to retreat again.

Checkmate pursued them into the prison itself. When Signalman spotted the pursuit he split his people up between the two prison yards and the first cell block. It was in the first cell block that he faced Major Karin Grace. Karin had been Lt. Grace when she'd been the first woman in the US military to join a special ops group. That group was designated Task Force X.

After the dismantlement of the original Suicide Squad, Karin joined ARGUS and was a field operative for many missions. But recently, when ARUS dismantled the Suicide Squad program CADMUS had set up, Karin was brought in as Checkmate's Queen. With Nightshade, Silver Swan, and Black Orchid in the field with the Justice League Dark, Karin had the opportunity to lead in the field.

When Waller approached Karin, her only hesitation was working with Rick Flagg again. In Task Force X fraternization in the ranks was strictly forbidden. Yet Major Flagg and Lt. Grace had carried on a multiyear illicit affair. Both of them had nearly been court-martialed when it was discovered.

What respect and feelings Karin had for Flagg evaporated when he threw her under the bus to save his own career. Yet cooler heads in Washington had prevailed and Karin was granted an immediate transfer to the newly established ARGUS. And there she'd proven herself hundreds of times over. And Karin's singular goal at the moment was to take Signalman and his cronies apart.

Signalman's gloves discharged a sparkler effect while he waved them around. Karin's vision turned spotty but she was still determined to pound the flamboyantly dressed villain into the concrete, "You really think that show will save you?"

"Actually, I do. Take your best shot. Consider it a freebie," Signalman offered.

Karin gladly took it…except she found she couldn't move her arms or legs. Signalman smirked, "Someday you should conduct research into the correlation between visual stimuli and synaptic response. After all, it's nothing but signals. But in the meantime…"

Signalman punched her in the face until Karin was knocked out. Signalman had no idea of the corresponding significance of the name when he said, "Good night, Gracie."

* * *

Uncle Sam blocked Darkwing's path, "Hold it right thar, young feller."

"Get of my way, old man," Darkwing demanded, "Or taste my wrath."

"Well, I reckon ya are as rude as the day is long," Uncle Sam surmised, "But ya aren't dressed like that Wrath fella so I guess ya are some new squirt tryin' to make a name for yoreself. But first I gotta teach ya some manners."

Darkwing's arm executed a backhand and five throwing knives imbedded themselves in Uncle Sam's chest. He scowled, "Aren't you just an ornery cuss. I hate to say it but ya got my hackles up."

Darkwing executed a perfect backspin kick into Uncle Sam's jaw. He felt like he'd broken his heel. Uncle Sam just gave him a weary look.

"Are ya gonna keep this up for long?" Uncle Sam inquired, "`Cause some of yore buddies need some of my attention."

Darkwing stabbed Uncle Sam under the rib cage and drove the eight inch blade up into Uncle Sam's heart. Then he twisted the blade. Slapping away Darkwing's hands, Uncle Sam surprised Darkwing with his massive strength.

Uncle Sam staggered back and then pulled the blade out. Uncle Sam patted his chest, "Feels a mite like heartburn. Don't ya know ya kin't kill the livin' Spirit of America?"

Darkwing heard what sounded like an explosion but Uncle Sam's clothes were suddenly torn by it. And the annoying man staggered. Darkwing spun on his bruised heel to find Signalman nearby with a bullhorn. He aimed and triggered it again.

Uncle Sam's top hat was blown away and shredded while the man himself suddenly began bleeding out his ears and nose. A third shot bowled him over. The fourth one knocked him out.

"And sound is a signal carrier," Signalman said proudly.

Darkwing noted that Karin was on her back and bleeding. Many of the prisoners in the cell block were still clutching their bleeding ears. So Signalman hadn't shown them any mercy at all. Which raised him up in Darkwing's estimation.

"My thanks," Darkwing grudgingly conceded, "But all you managed to do was hurry things along. I allowed it because we have a time constraint. I would have eventually defeated this imbecile on my own."

"Of course," Signalman managed not to roll his eyes, "And like you said, we have a time constraint."

* * *

"I'd heard you retired," Black Spider spoke to Phantasm near the administrative wing, "I've also heard rumors that you're secretly a woman."

"Would either be a problem?" Phantasm asked.

"It's just curiosity is all," Black Spider admitted, "Unless of course you're serious about stopping me. That would be problematic."

"I've grown weary of working for criminals," Phantasm's modulator masked masculine voice answered sounding just like her father, "I began my career killing mob bosses. I decided to return to my roots."

"I can offer you an alternative that will insure humanity's safety and crush the criminal classes," Black Spider offered.

"You're in a curious position then," Phantasm noted.

"A necessary ruse to further my ultimate objective," Black Spider shared, "I started out as a vigilante and was branded a criminal by narrow minds with an outdated notion of justice. So I think we can relate."

"Trojans can be highly effective," Phantasm allowed, "Let's talk then."

"Discreetly," Black Spider counseled her.

"Edge this way," Phantasm's smoke ejectors began issuing a morphagenic fog. Phantasm grabbed Black Spider and pulled him down the administrative wing, "When the smoke clears they'll think we've both vanished."

"Excellent ruse," Black Spider chuckled, "Tell me, what do you know about Basilisk?"

"Just the name really," Phantasm admitted.

"Then prepare to keep an open mind," Black Spider requested.

* * *

Psi found herself covered in inky darkness. She shoved out in every direction with her TK ability and heard a resounding, " _Oof_!"

"You might as well drop this blanket, because I will find you and kill you," Psi promised.

Phantom Lady intercepted Darkwing's punch and kicked him in the face for his troubles. Then she shrouded Signalman in darkness as well. Each inky black field would sustain itself for a five minute duration without a renewal from Phantom Lady's darkness projector.

"Why is it women in this country dress as whores and rebel against their male superiors?" Darkwing demanded to know.

Phantom Lady's right cross answered him as effectively as her words, "Because of jerks like you. And don't think I haven't noticed you ogling my boobs."

"How can I not?" Darkwing cried, "They are so large and exposed!"

Phantom Lady punched him again, "They're a distraction aimed at perverts like you!"

While Phantom Lady fought Darkwing, Psi's vision cleared. She slapped a choke hold on Phantom Lady from across the distance. Darkwing pouted while Phantom Lady succumbed to the hold and passed out.

"I don't need help from brazen whores," Darkwing critiqued Psi's own outfit.

"Yet you're always leering at my body," Psi pointed out, "Go figure."

"I will not be mocked by a woman," Darkwing declared.

"Then you shouldn't talk to any," Psi retorted, "Now, we've got work to do."

"I will kill that bitch," Darkwing vowed.

"Somehow I don't think our new Legion leaders would approve," Signalman warned him, "And I wouldn't cross them."

"Then I will seek their permission first," Darkwing decided.

"Yeah, good luck with that," Signalman muttered.

* * *

Psi headed outside to check on the rest of the team. There she found Firebrand blazing away at King Shark. He was dehydrating and growing weaker by the second. Psi ripped off a steel pipe section from the surrounding fence and walloped Firebrand's head with it a couple of times. Then she used her telekinesis to sheer off a fire hydrant. King Shark basked in the spraying water.

"I bet you're hungry after that," Psi commented to him, "We have a whole prison full of uniformed snack foods."

* * *

King Faraday struck so swiftly and efficiently, El Diablo was knocked out before he could even defend himself. Serving as Checkmate's Intelligence Bishop, Faraday had retired from field ops years ago. He left them up to his stunning protégé, Eve Eden. But the world knew her as Nightshade.

Now Faraday knew the strategic thing to do was pull out and reinforce. So he exited Belle Reeve's main prison yard and vanished amidst the parking lot. And he contacted Amanda Waller so she could dispatch more forces to Belle Reeve.

* * *

Human Bomb simply blew apart the recently reforged Shrapnel. Signalman confronted Human Bomb and waved a light stick in a rapid pattern in the air. The stick blinked on and off at preprogrammed intervals. Human Bomb simply keeled over and fell asleep.

"Who needs to get bloody knuckles?" Signalman wondered aloud.

* * *

"How's Chato doing?" Signalman asked Psi.

"He's coming around but he isn't happy about it," Psi grinned, "And before you ask, I'd leave King Shark in the water for a few minutes longer. That's if you want him to be discriminating about the food chain."

* * *

Up above them Sparrow Hawk battled Black Condor. She'd never heard of the Native American before. But she was thoroughly enjoying herself. Of course, she couldn't use her sword in order to make it sporting.

But she saw the Legion stating to regroup so she phoenix punched Black Condor's throat. He choked and gasped for air and had passed out before she caught him and lowered him to the ground. Signalman knew she'd just been toying with the Freedom Fighter but he didn't criticize.

"You're our eyes, Danya. While we're inside, run a patrol and let us know what's coming," he instructed.

"You think they'll send backup?" Psi was amused by the fact Sparrow Hawk felt insulted by the fact Signalman would mention something so obvious as playing lookout.

"They always send backup," Signalman grimaced.

* * *

Giganta was tiring of Captain Boomerang's incessant throwing of his namesakes, "Stop it, you little worm. You used to be on our side."

"Well, now I've got a bomb in my head so you'll excuse me if I switch sides," Captain Boomerang sneered between throws.

"Then I hope you don't go off!" Giganta growled as she stomped on him.

As she trudged off, Captain Boomerang lay flat on his back inside a shoe print and weakly said, " _ow_."

* * *

Sarge Steel was Checkmate's other Bishop. He ran the Operations department. He'd been a top level field operative since before there was even a Task Force X or a CADMUS or an ARGUS. But he'd taken the last few years off from field ops. Now he, and his cybernetic right hand, were back in action.

His steel hand was the perfect weapon to knock Volcana out with. But then he felt a stirring in the hair just seconds before Sparrow Hawk sliced his mechanical hand off. He attempted to fight but he barely survived long enough to retreat.

Sparrow Hawk revived Volcana and sent her on to Signalman's group.

* * *

As they reentered the prison, the guards had set up a blockade. King Shark tore into them and began eating his victims alive. Darkwing grew restless.

"When do we just get to kill them all?" he grated.

"Knock yourself out. Just stay out of King Shark's way," Signalman offered.

"Where's Shrapnel?" Giganta asked.

"Still outside pulling himself together," Signalman answered.

"Oh, well I'll go out and stand watch with Danya," Giganta volunteered, knowing her power set was useless in tight confines.

"Has anyone seen Black Spider?" Signalman had to ask.

"Nope," El Diablo admitted.

"Damn. It's always something," Signalman grumbled, "Stay behind me and take care of the upper level catwalks."

* * *

Signalman's bullhorn blazed a trail through the prison while El Diablo and Psi brought in support against the upper decks. Volcana trailed a bit and roasted stragglers.

"Waste of good meat," King Shark called after her between mouthfuls. She flipped him off.

* * *

When the Legion trio reached the meta block, El Diablo visited cells and called out numbers while Signalman unlocked the lock control system and began releasing prisoners. Psi served as their conduit back to freedom.

Count Vertigo was the first to be freed. He demanded that his inducer be returned to him. Psi passed him of the Volcana. Copperhead was released out of a storage locker. Bane was bound just as Mammoth had been in Blackgate. And Reverse Flash was bound up and suspended in elastic bands.

Psi released Reverse Flash. KGBeast was still sullenly mourning the loss of his gun hand. Catman was in a body cast and left behind amidst his many protests. Spencer Hawk exuded a cold fury over the loss of his right hand and his power ring. The look in his eyes chilled everyone.

Man Bat quietly left the cell black. Queen Bee was indignant over being incarcerated with "mere" humans. She joined Counter Vertigo as Volcana was elected to take them to personal storage. But Doomsday presented a problem.

"They left that girder in his chest," Psi observed.

"And that kryptonite in the cell," El Diablo pointed out.

It vanished with a rush of wind before Reverse Flash returned, "Not anymore."

"Stand back," Psi instructed. The girder began to quiver and then lurched out in fits and starts before breaking free and hurtling across the block. Psi was disgusted, "He'd healed all around it and it was glued into his flesh."

"I guess that means his heart will grow back," El Diablo chose to the see the brighter side.

"But not fast enough," Psi grimaced, "I'll have to carry him until that happens."

Doomsday floated out of his cell and behind Psi as she made her way out of the cell block. As the group reached the first cell block, they found dismembered body parts strewn about amidst the blood and gore. King Shark looked unnaturally happy.

He patted his stomach, "First time I've really been full in months."

"Then we're out of here as soon as we gather our troops," Signalman decided, "Has anyone even seen Black Spider or know where the hell he even is?"

"I'm right here," Black Spider seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Where have you been?" Signalman demanded to know.

"Trying to recruit a former competitor," Black Spider easily admitted, "He quit the Legion to return to the life of a contract killer. ARGUS caught him and has been forcing him to work for them. I offered him a way out."

"And?" Signalman wanted to get to the punch line.

"He'll be in touch," Black Spider promised.

They group made it outside and collected Shrapnel, Giganta, and Sparrow Hawk as the Black Razor team was arriving with ARGUS tactical squads not far behind. But the Legion had already closed their boom tube before ARGUS was set.


	16. Chapter 16

34

Berlin had not seen such devastation in the decades following World War II. The Federal Guard had fought long and hard but in the end even their advanced technology and months of intense training were no match for the Justice Leagues' experience. The Legion trio sat out the battle to observe the loyalty of the JLers. The Crime Syndicate waited to be deployed should a JLer falter in their duty but that call never came.

The Justice League International in particular redeemed itself in the eyes of the LSV's founders. Only two of the JLI members had never served in the once larger Justice League Unlimited. Rising Sun and Goldstar were those exceptions. Meanwhile Booster Gold, Starman, Fire, Ice, and Dr. Light had all been proud members of the JLU.

Booster's leadership against the Federal Guard proved to Saturn Queen, Lightning Lord, and Cosmic King that Booster was ready to kill Rip Hunter when called to. Goldstar was his natural accomplice. They would be the perfect moles to insert into the Time Corps.

Martian Manhunter and Mr. Miracle displayed a ruthlessness not often seen from either one of them. But Superman still couldn't be persuaded to kill his human opponents. Darkseid had brainwashed Superman into conquering and annihilating dozens of alien worlds. But his resolve had been broken in the face of humanity.

Saturn Queen knew if he ever broke that barrier, he was hers for forever even as Ultraman already was. The Crime Syndicate killed any Federal Guardsman left alive by the Justice Leagues. The JLers didn't even protest which the Legion masters saw as progress. While the Germans sought NATO's aid in repelling the JLers, they activated a boom tube and travelled to the Russian Federation.

* * *

The Rocket Reds proved to be more capable opponents. Their armor was on par technologically with the Federal Guard's but their experience was far broader. Still, Rocket Reds #1-24 were rendered helpless by the Justice Leagues. Rocket Red himself proved more resilient in his Apokoliptan battle armor but the Crime Syndicate forced him to flee.

Rocket Red had been a member of the both the JLU and the JLI so he recognized his friends turned enemies. But the FSB had reported the formation of the Justice League of America to the Rocket Red Brigade. So querying the FSB analysis department, Rocket Red requested the location of the JLA. Having been routed towards the Hall of Justice, Rocket Red received a personal admonition from the Russian President to avenge the Motherland's fallen sons.

* * *

The Justice Leagues returned to OmniTech in order to refresh themselves before heading to China. Brainiac reported the successes the Rogues and the Legion of Doom had enjoyed in liberating their incarcerated comrades. He also reported several stray Legionnaires had reported in.

"Shall I grant them admittance?" Brainiac inquired.

"Yes, have them join us here," Cosmic King was amused by the situation.

The returned Legionnaires reported to the cafeteria as ordered. The group was comprised of members that had gone their own way as well as those liberated from GCPD central holding by Tala and Bronze Tiger who led the procession into an audience with Saturn Queen, Lightning Lord, and Cosmic King. Joining them were Major Disaster, Big Sir, Scarecrow, Major Force, Mad Hatter, Two-Face, Penguin, Killer Croc, Riddler, Query, Echo, and Psycho Pirate.

"I am also in contact with parties you have designated a desire to meet with," Brainiac revealed.

"And Talia al Ghul sends her greeting and those of the League of Shadows," Bronze Tiger spoke without permission, "The League has located Dr. Claire Connelly. She is working at LexCorp-Metropolis on an unspecified endeavor. But Mercy Graves has allocated unlimited funds and materials towards this 'black' project."

"Brainiac send our regards to Talia and thank her for her information. Make a note to amply reward her for this favor," Lightning Lord requested, "We'll need to dispatch a team to deal with Dr. Connelly and Mercy Graves."

"I'd say we already have a proven team put together," Cosmic King opined, "Send the Legion team under Signalman to kill Connelly and Graves."

"Agreed," Lightning Lord concurred.

"Make it so, Brainiac," Saturn Queen ordered.

"May I remind your Exaltednesses that Condor's Chaos Avatars are currently in Metropolis?" Brainiac pointed out.

"Excellent notation," Cosmic King was finally pleased with Brainiac's contributions, "Contact them and have them join in the hunt."

"As you wish," Brainiac said. A touch of condensation tinged his voice in Saturn Queen's estimation.

"I suggest we send the remaining Rogues as our envoy to Regulus and Basilisk," Lightning Lord suggested.

"I concur," Cosmic King voiced.

"Then it's unanimous," Saturn Queen agreed, "Brief them and send them out."

"As you wish, my Queen," Brainiac wasn't condescending that time.

"And let's send the Brotherhood of Evil to meet Majestic," Cosmic King suggested, "The Brain is a rolling turd but he'll get the job done."

And so Brainiac was allocated to dispatch the Brotherhood to Mongolia. Saturn Queen singled out the Riddler and his henchwomen, "Riddler, I believe you and your associates are the best option to send to John Lynch."

"You'll forgive me if I point out we're all wounded," Riddler demurred.

"Brainiac, see to it they spend time with the tissue regenerator and then send them along," Cosmic King enjoyed watching Riddler and his women squirm.

"Penguin and Two-Face, we have a particular task for you," Lightning Lord announced, "You will take the Scarecrow and travel to Bailya. There you will petition the Crimson Queen to allow us the use of her Crimson Jihad."

"The Crimson Queen is dead," Penguin protested.

"Then negotiate with her sister, Scarlet Rose," Saturn Queen smirked.

Two-Face tossed his coin and studied the results. He turned to Penguin, "Grab Crane."

"Bronze Tiger, you will lead a team to offer the Injustice Society an opportunity to join with us," Lightning Lord instructed.

"And if they refuse?" Bronze Tiger asked.

"Then inform them their days on this Earth will be numbered," Cosmic King declared.

* * *

After the teams went forth, the Legion trio met with Grodd's technical team and Merlyn. They reiterated their vision of a thousand year reign passed down from one Legion of Doom to a Legion of Super Villains. And Lightning Lord revealed why Claire could pose a threat to that vision.

"We need a countermeasure, gentlemen," Cosmic King sternly informed them.

"But you have time yet," Saturn Queen assured them, "First we must take measures against Luthor's potential to betray as all. And in order to do so, we're dispatching two teams on special missions. Grodd, you and Merlyn will be one team. Ultra-Humanite, you'll lead Dr. Sivana and Mr. Mind on the other mission."

And then the trio explained what the teams' tasks were.

* * *

Once the JLers established themselves as a threat to Beijing, the Great Ten gathered and deployed to intercept the Justice Leagues and the Crime Syndicate. But their numbers swelled beyond the original ten. Mother of Champions had given birth to twenty-five of Socialist Red Guardian's children.

They were as radioactive as their father and as difficult to harm as their mother. They'd been born three days before. Aging ten years in a day, they'd spent the first two days just learning skills in how to combat threats as well as harnessing their own naturally derived powers.

Seven Deadly Brothers had split into seven identical Brothers. Each a master of one of the seven schools of Kung Fu that the original Seven Deadly Brothers had learned. Seven Deadly Brothers himself was over three hundred years old so he had a wealth of experience to pass on when he divided. In addition, each Brother took on an independent personality.

Thundermind split into two beings sharing one mind. So, when the LSV Founders led their expanded Justice Leagues team and the Crime Syndicate to China, they stepped back once again to observe the strengths and weaknesses of their followers. The addition of the Super Friends and others to the JLI ranks introduced a new potential instability in the ranks.

* * *

Superman was confronted by August General in Iron and a radioactive offspring. This was the confrontation the Legion trio were most interested in observing. But they had to allow Superman to choose their desired outcome.

"Superman, I do not know why you have invaded the People's Republic of China but the President and Premier have joined with the United Nations in condemning your previous and current actions," August General warned Kal-El, "Stand down and you and your comrades will be taken into custody and allowed to plead your defense before the World Court. If you refuse you will not appreciate the…alternatives."

Superman looked to Saturn Queen for her permission. August General caught the importance of that as she nodded her assent. Superman exploded into action.

The offspring unleashed a broad spectrum solar flare. Superman recoiled. August General recalled that Superman was a Kryptonian and vulnerable to red sunlight. So August General in Iron instructed the offspring to produce red solar rays and bathe Superman in them.

In effect it was like a red spotlight amidst the sun's yellow rays. But it sufficiently weakened Superman so that he was vulnerable to August General's energy spear. But Superman surprised him by being fast and strong enough to grapple with the metal skinned Chinese hero. The battle ended when Superman sliced the spear in half with his heat vision.

August General in Iron then began beating Superman with his Kung Fu training. But for all the damage Superman endured, his uppercut to August General's steely jaw flattened the Chinese operative. Superman lobotomized the Champion offspring with his heat vision.

Saturn Queen gleefully pointed out the action to Lightning Lord, and Cosmic King. They watched with rapt attention as Superman then burned away most of August General in Iron's heart. Saturn Queen knew they'd finally turned the corner.

* * *

"He's ours now. Mind, body, and soul," Saturn Queen reveled in that fact.

"So our phase two plan for him can proceed," Lightning Lord chuckled.

"Of course it can, who could serve us better in the 31st Century than Alexandra Kent?" Cosmic King didn't even have to ask.

"He'll take Diana by force until she conceives, and in gratitude for handing him his estranged wife, Kal-El will gladly hand us his daughter," Saturn Queen predicted.

"What about his other daughter?" Cosmic King reminded them, "The one he shares with Maxima."

"Kalea-El poses a very real threat to our ambitions," Lightning Lord agreed, "Which is why I hired Lobo to assassinate her."

"The last Czarnian?" Cosmic King sputtered, "He killed his entire race as a secondary school science experiment."

"And gave himself an 'A' for the class," Lightning Lord was amused.

"I think Laevar is trying to point out Lobo is unpredictable," Saturn Queen intervened.

"I'm trying to point out he's a damn psychopath," Cosmic King explained.

"That label has been applied to all three of us as well," Lightning Lord argued, "So let's not debate semantics. Lobo has his own perverse code of honor. He will kill his target and anything or anyone that gets in between him and his target. And with Darkseid claiming Earth Prime, the Gordanian threat is a moot point. They won't get a foothold in the solar system."

"He's right," Saturn Queen conceded, "The Gordanians are about to be plunged into a two front war for the next thousand years. The Dominators at one end and the Khunds at the other. Having the three waging one all encompassing war weakens them all enough that the United Planets will eventually be able to form up."

"And Vril Dox will form his damnable LEGION Corps that plants the UP's seed in the first place," Cosmic King knew the history as well as they did, "And the UP only formed up with Maxima's blessing. You deprive Almerac of being relieved of the Gordanian threat and you endanger the United Planets. And in case you've missed the whole point of this, we were all born on UP member worlds. If the UP doesn't form, or if Mordru gets his galactic conquest, then the Lords of Chaos reclaim the universe and Order is shut out. Which jeopardizes our future even more than Kalea can."

"It's too late to pull Lobo off the scent," Lightning Lord said irritably, "He's had two days to track the girl down. He'll undoubtedly be preparing to strike soon. And he won't respond to any messages until he's finished the job."

"Hopefully he's aware of enough interstellar politics to let Kalea finish her mission before attacking her," Saturn Queen frowned. Lightning Lord hadn't made sweeping unilateral decisions for some time now. Not since his schizophrenic belief that storms spoke to him had decreased. But Mekt had seemed slightly manic over the last two days and that was a sign his condition was worsening. As was this Lobo business.

Still, Eve Aries chose discretion in the matter and telepathically alerted Mekt Ranzz that she wanted to discuss his decision after they retired back to OmniTech. Laevar Bolto needn't know of their chat or her reasons for wanting one. But she knew they were both aware of the exponentially increasing variables in their timeline. They had witnessed the perfect outcome but things had already gone astray from that perfectly executed timeline. So now the future would be flawed.

And they were gambling with higher stakes than just control over Earth and the United Planets' territories. Existence itself was being threatened. So if destiny turned against them, Mekt, Laevar, and Eve would never become Lightning Lord, Cosmic King, or Saturn Queen. Instead, they would probably serve life sentences on Takron Galtos, the UP's dedicated maximum security prison planet. And if they never assumed their public identities then the entire Legion of Super Villains would never be created.

* * *

Accomplished Perfect Physician opened his mouth and employed his vocal sonic powers on Mr. Miracle. Mr. Miracle quickly discovered Accomplished Perfect Physician shared similarities with Silver Banshee's wail. But while Silver Banshee generally used her power to kill Accomplished Perfect Physician's primary uses were to create force fields, fly, heal others, and generate sonic energy blasts. But Mr. Miracle had been born on New Genesis and raised on Apokolips. As an adult he and Big Barda escaped to Earth where they vowed to sit out New Genesis' war against Apokolips. Scott Free was apprenticed to Thaddeus Brown and succeeded him as Mr. Miracle.

Despite Scott and Barda's refusal to participate in the eons old war, Barda had been the leader of the Female Furies and Mr. Miracle had been raised in Granny Goodness' Orphanage and literally fought to stay alive every day he was there. So while Mr. Miracle's gear was decidedly nonlethal, it could inflict a lot of punishment.

Mr. Miracle's Mother Box quickly deduced Accomplished Perfect Physician's primary weakness. He volleyed stun grenades at the Chinese soldier turned Tibetan champion and advocate in order to force Accomplished Perfect Physician to utilize his voice to erect a force field. While he did so, Scott swung around him on his hover discs.

Wrapping his arms around Accomplished Perfect Physician's throat like a noose, Mr. Miracle lifted the Great Ten member into the air and strangled him until he stopped resisting. Then Mr. Miracle dropped Accomplished Perfect Physician like the dead weight he'd become.

* * *

Martian Manhunter telepathically controlled the Champion offspring and forced it to consume itself in nuclear fire. Thundermind, the original one, confronted J'onn Jonzz, "Excellent. A fellow telepath. I so rarely get a challenge in the mental realm."

Thundermind reeled as J'onn attacked him with his mind. It wasn't a spear point or a broadsword. Rather, it was a scorched earth attack. J'onn's desire was to burn up Thundermind's psyche.

And J'onn attacked him physically simultaneously. Thundermind matched J'onn's strength but he was out of practice fighting a twofold war with an opponent. Thundermind couldn't maintain his concentration well enough to control his other body so he reabsorbed it. But even that pittance wasn't enough to protect him any further.

Thundermind's last conscious thought was, _How can this be so?_

* * *

Booster and Goldstar used their force fields to protect themselves from Socialist Red Guardian's solar radiation. Socialist Red Guardians was the single most radioactive being on Earth. More so than Captain Atom, Major Force, Atomic Skull, the Firestorms, or even the Firehawks. As such, his containment suit was a vehicle-like suit of armor. And it was this armor that Booster's proton blasts and Goldstar's magnetic repulsors were tearing apart.

As the armor began to lose containment, Socialist Red Guardian thought of simply exposing his radioactive body to the population of Beijing. But the exposure would contaminate all of Northern China, most of Mongolia and Far Eastern Russia and the fallout would drift as far as North America, or Australia, or Europe depending upon the prevailing winds.

So Socialist Red Guardian evacuated himself. He made it to his stronghold in the heart of the Gobi Desert before his suit lost functionality. Locking himself in his containment chambers, Socialist Red Guardian could do little else than wait for technicians to arrive to affect repairs on his armor.

* * *

Starman and Rising Sun simply absorbed all of the solar radiation of four of Champion's offspring. Unlike their father, they couldn't easily replenish their radioactive natures from an inexhaustible well within themselves. So they crumbled to dust as their very life essences were pulled from them in the form of solar rays.

Dr. Light erected photon barriers against the two offspring that she fought. And she projected photon bursts at them. All in an effort to distract them until Rising Sun came to her assistance. Kimiyo Hoshi presumed she would have felt badly for the twins at one point but now she simply exalted in their deaths.

* * *

Seraph used Moses' staff to intercept the magically charged arrows Celestial Archer fired from the Bow of Yi. The bow endowed Celestial Archer with uncanny accuracy and instructed him on who and what to target. Ice simply created solid barriers for the arrows to shatter. Fire's plasma form was immune to them.

While Fire distracted Celestial Archer, Seraph rushed him and used Samson's fabled strength to wrest the Bow of Yi from Celestial Archer's hand. Finding himself a mortal man once again, he was vulnerable to Fire's plasma storm. Ice froze him over before all of his flesh burned away.

* * *

Hood battled the first Seven Deadly Brother. Hood had never battled a Kung Fu master before. So, like Batman had advised him, he mapped out the Brother's responses to attack and also how tested Hood's defenses. But he only did so with a single discipline.

When Hood felt he had a grip on the Brother's skill set, he began employing his own multidisciplinary range. After Hood had beaten the Brother senseless, he killed him. And for the very first time, Hood didn't even feel remotely guilty for it.

* * *

Nightrunner's strength was overcoming urban challenges. So he led a Brother on a merry chase through Beijing before scaling a large building and disappearing. As the Brother looked over the roof's edge to find Nightrunner, he shoved the Brother off of the building and into the traffic stories below.

* * *

Wingman enjoyed a similar experience as Hood versus a Brother. Cross trained in multiple fighting disciplines, he too, like all former members of Batman, Inc, had been advised as to the efficacy of unraveling your enemy's secrets when it came to the breadth of their abilities. Wingman correctly gauged when the Brother had displayed his last skill and then killed him without remorse.

* * *

Man-of-Bats and Raven Red fought as father and son against two Brothers. Not as broadly trained as Hood or Wingman, they still held their own against their foes before slipping behind them. Utilizing leather thongs as garrotes, they each strangled their foes to death.

* * *

Shaolin Robot fought Tasmanian Devil and Maxi-Man in purely physical terms. Originally built as a terra cotta clockwork automaton five thousand years ago, Shaolin Robot had been imprinted with his designer's consciousness.

Since being dug up fifteen years before, Shaolin Robot had employed China's ever burgeoning tech industry to advance himself. Now he was a mechanism on par with Red Tornado or Chrysalis. Seeing Socialist Red Guardian flee, and detecting elevating radiation levels off of him, Shaolin Robot refashioned his arm into a neuron blaster and overloaded the JLers' nervous systems before flying off to assist Socialist Red Guardian, presuming of course he was headed to the containment stronghold in the Gobi.

* * *

Echo simply reflected the offspring's radioactive fire back on itself. The more it tried to burn through her defense, the more it consumed itself with its own power. Soon there was nothing left of it.

Reverb used his powers to liquefy two offsprings' internal organs before they could even employ their power against him. Then he checked in on Echo. It was the first time that she'd realized the affection he had for her.

* * *

Dark Ranger led a Brother into the streets of Beijing before losing it and then turning around and becoming the hunter. Dark Ranger enjoyed making the kill. But he wondered why he didn't feel guilty about such actions any more.

* * *

Olympian's demigod status made him immune to the offsprings' solar powers. He simply crushed their skulls together. Then he tried to remember why Godiva wasn't in China with the JLI.

* * *

Knight fought the last Seven Deadly Brother while Squire took dirty shots at him. When the Brother finally wheeled on Squire, Knight stabbed him through the chest with his electro sword. And as he watched the Brother die, Knight wondered what kind of example that had been for his son.

* * *

Apache Chief fought two offspring. The first he simply caved the man's face in with his fist. Unwilling to tempt fate by simply enduring solar radiation with his molecular density hardened, Apache Chief phased his body and radiation bursts went through him.

Then Apache Chief dove through a wall and the offspring was so intent on pursuing, he began to melt the wall. Meanwhile, Apache Chief rose out of the sewers behind him and shifted his density again and crushed the offspring's heart between his hands.

Black Vulcan cooked two offspring with his electrical powers. Their heads burst on fire and their hearts exploded within their chests. But he could see where he was still needed.

Samurai controlled the winds to lift two offspring off of the streets. Pulling a Fukushima Daiichi response maneuver, he dumped them far out in the Pacific with no chance of recovery or survival. And that's when he noticed Apache Chief and Black Vulcan moving to aid fellow JLers.

* * *

Cascade had transformed her own body into water to act as a coolant for the offspring she fought. But being threatened with drowning drove it to try and boil her away. Apache Chief repeated himself and shoved his hand through the offspring's chest, gripping its still beating heart.

Cascade became human again, "Thank you."

Apache Chief hadn't spoken at length with the Indonesian woman before. And he knew no one had. She struck up a conversation to check on her well being, physically and emotionally.

* * *

Sandstorm used his silicate particles to confuse and beleaguer the offspring he fought. Then Black Vulcan used him as a conductor to terminate the offspring. Sandstorm reformed and congratulated Black Vulcan.

"Thanks," Black Vulcan said distractedly. Somehow it all seemed wrong.

* * *

Tundra's powers cooled the offspring but it couldn't rapidly freeze him or disable him. Samurai ignited the offspring and burned him to death. Tundra seemed eager to watch him die but Samurai wasn't certain he could bear to witness it.

* * *

Thundermind's clone abruptly vanished leaving Ultraman simply facing an offspring. Its solar flare ability burned at Ultraman but all that did was insure that he would kill it. Taking a moment, he saw Superman had killed an offspring and August General in Iron.

Kal-L smirked. It seemed he and Kal-El might be closer to being brothers than anyone thought after all. But Saturn Queen had approached him first even though Kal-El was already her slave. So he had the favor of his mother and fathers and Superman was just now proving himself to be worthy. He wondered if they'd assign him to mentor Kal-El.

* * *

Ghost Fox Killer had been sent to Hong Kong from the Kingdom of the Ghost Fox Women. Her touch was lethal to all men except August General in Iron. And because of his pleas to her she'd joined the Great Ten…and fallen in love with him.

Superwoman used her lasso to quickly break an offspring's neck. And then she turned her attention to Ghost Fox Killer. Superwoman was protected by her gender from Ghost Fox Killer's touch. But she also knew others means with which to fight with.

And it seemed the Amazon was a physical match for her. Ghost Fox Killer rattled Superwoman for a second but rather than capitalize on the moment, Ghost Fox Killer sought to learn August General's status. Seeing his chest melted and his heart burned out, Ghost Fox Killer felt she had no reason to remain in Beijing. So she opened the rift that led to the Kingdom of Ghost Fox Women and slipped away.

* * *

Atomica delighted in the fact Mother of Champions seemed to be immortal and unkillable. Which meant Atomica could simply maim and torture her to her delight. Remembering their briefing on the Great Ten, Superwoman bound up Mother of Champions. The Legion had plans of crossbreeding Mother of Champions with Doomsday.

* * *

Power Ring trapped the last offspring within a construct and it burned itself out trying to escape. But the Ring of Volthoom alerted Jessica Cruz that Immortal man in Darkness was on approach. The pilot of the Dragonwing was bonded to the alien strike fighter.

It could change shape, operate atmospherically, extraterrestrially, and underwater. But the price for these abilities was that the living ship slowly ate away the pilot on a molecular level. So Power Ring thought she'd speed the Dragonwing's metabolism up.

Power Ring pushed Immortal Man in Darkness to his limits. They flew to the Moon and back. They flew through cities and mountain ranges. They entered the deepest fathoms of the oceans. Soon, the plan began to pay off.

Dragonwing began devouring the pilot. And he knew it and feared for his life. The Ring of Volthoom sensed that fear and gorged on it while the Dragonwing did the same to the body.

* * *

"I guess they really weren't worthy to join our cause after all," Lightning Lord was amused by the end results.

"Except our little brood mare," Cosmic King chuckled.

"We should return to base," Saturn Queen suggested, "Our envoys should have been received by now."

So they used a boom tube to return to OmniTech in Los Angeles.

* * *

The Chinese responders found that August General in Iron's remaining heart segment was regrowing itself. Accomplished Perfect Physician was also recovering and would be able help heal August General. When the corpses of the Seven Deadly Brothers were reunited they merged back into a single body and then they were restored to life. It was determined that Accomplished Perfect Physician's first patient would have to be Celestial Archer. If they thawed him, his injuries were almost certain to kill him. No one could fathom what had afflicted Thundermind.

Shaolin Robot had reported in from the Gobi. He was rebuilding Socialist Red Guardian's containment armor from spare parts and had several design improvements in mind. He estimated their return in twelve hours time.

So that just left the mysteries of where Ghost Fox Killer had gone and where Mother of Champions had been taken to. Only August General knew how to contact Ghost Fox Killer. And Socialist Red Guardian would probably go berserk over Mother of Champion's fate. And the military needed to go through the Immortal Man in Darkness candidate pool once the navy had recovered the Dragonwing.

It was decided at the highest levels to clamp down on any and all information regarding this defeat. China couldn't appear vulnerable, especially since it was, and there was no strategic value in alerting the enemy that they'd failed.

* * *

White Rabbit's sources began reporting in. Through them she learned of the Legion's impending attack on LexCorp. And that the Rogues were meeting Basilisk in southern Mexico. She now knew the Brotherhood of Evil was approaching Majestic in Mongolia and that Riddler and his henchwomen were contacting John Lynch in the same country. A Legion team was travelling to Bailya to try and recruit the Crimson Jihad. And Bronze Tiger was leading a team with the same ambition towards the Injustice Society. Coordinates were also provided.

* * *

Gypsy brought Praxis to Galatea's bedside. Blackhawk gave him a quizzical look and Praxis explained, "Gypsy and I are going to try and liberate Power Girl from her mental prison. If we're successful we'll do the same for Teth-Adam and Adrianna Tomaz."

Ahmud Tomaz heard the comment as he was returning to his sister's room. He was angry that Galatea was chosen before Adrianna. But Ahmud received his summons from Slade Wilson. Horus was needed.

Ahmud quickly went outside. Satanus had originally given him a grant of power from the god, Anubis. But Anubis had revoked the grant when he realized Satanus wouldn't give him control over Ahmud's transformed body. But Anubis had been the only god to respond to Satanus' entreaties on his own.

Swallowing his pride, Satanus approached his sister, Blaze, and together they had swayed Horus. But Ahmud was beginning to suspect Satanus and Blaze shared a measure of the power he was supposed to receive from Horus. And he knew their father, Shazam, didn't operate that way.

But Shazam had chosen Adrianna not Ahmud. So he had to go with the offer laid before him. But the name he had to recite in order to receive Horus' gift gave away who was truly in control of Satanus and Blaze's partnership.

"Blaze!" he shouted and lightning struck him transforming him into Horus. Now he was prepared to meet Deathstroke's summons.

* * *

"How are things going?" Mercy asked Claire as she toured the building's sublevels.

"Thanks to the use of corporate jets I've recreated my original design teams. Most of them scattered across LexCorp's various holdings when I left for Paris. A few declined but for the most part, the bonuses you offered were incentive enough," Claire revealed, "No one ever knew the full capability of my designs before. The idea of time travel was strictly a theoretical exercise."

"But you knew better," Mercy added.

"Having a husband who's from the 25th Century helped," Claire ruefully admitted.

"And now a sister-in-law as well," Mercy reminded Claire.

"Anyway, everyone bought into the practicality of my designs in creating temporal stasis around damaged cells so the nanobots could affect repairs without further cellular degradation," Claire completed her thought.

"How are you doing towards a large scale application?" Mercy wondered.

"I've modified nanite designs into large insect scaled models," Claire punched up schematics on a monitor, "Each one will have a similarly augmented temporal displacement field strength. The goal is to deploy a clamshell encasement, drop the nanobugs, and have them swarm the target will creating a temporal ejection field propelling them into the future."

"You sound bothered," Mercy noted.

"Even with field testing the equipment all we'll be able to measure is that the target object has moved out of our time frame. We'll have no means of knowing when we sent it," Claire said glumly, "Booster and Michelle are the only people in our time frame with a working knowledge of time travel."

"Just build as powerful a field emitter as you can and trust it'll be enough," Mercy suggested.

"But wouldn't we just be dumping our problems on some future time?" Claire felt compelled to ask.

"And what do you think our three 'guests' jailors did by sending them to us?" Mercy grew colder, "Claire, I know you're a problem solver both personally and professionally. We're talking about your husband's life and that of his sister. Those are very real and personal stakes. These people came from the future and that's when society is better equipped to handle them."

"I suppose you're right but it just seems like the justice system in the future didn't know how to deal with the trio either and that's why they sent them here," Claire commented.

"I know I'm right," Mercy remarked, "Just ramp up the temporal field strength and hope for the best."

The whole building shook down through the sublevels. Mercy snarled, "Damn! They know you're here."

Mercy made it to the security offices, "Status report!"

"Infinity, Inc. deployed moments ago and have engaged the Legion of Doom," the Chief of Security reported.

* * *

LexCorp's Everyman Project had utilized incomplete research stolen from John Lynch to activate gen factors in seven volunteers. Those volunteers had become a new Conglomerate-styled team of meta-humans promoting LexCorp as they performed heroic deeds throughout Metropolis. So far it had been a public relations bonanza. But now Infinity, Inc. faced its first real test.

The team was the second to bear the name. The original incarnation had been populated by the original Star Spangled Kid, Atom Smasher, Hourman, Jesse Quick, Jade, and Obsidian. Now the ranks were filled with unknowns whose names were just becoming recognized by the public thanks in part to LexCorp's PR juggernaut.

The new team was composed of Trajectory, Fury, Nuklon, Vaporlock, Everyman, Matrix, and Skyman. Eliza Harmon was known as Trajectory and her gift was super speed on the level of the Flashes or Jesse Quick. Erik/a Storn was called Fury. S/he possessed unbreakable claws that could slice through virtually anything but the unexpected aspect of Fury's meta-gene was that his/her gender was fluidic and could transition between male and female at any given moment.

Unlike the original Nuklon, who was an atomic powered villain in the Justice Society's early history, Gerome McKenna took the name as an attempt to redeem it. Nuklon's power was biofission like Multiplex. But unlike Multiplex, Nuklon had a limit of twelve doppelgangers. But each had enhanced strength on the scale of a Commander Steel or Hourman.

Steel's niece, Natasha Irons, had transformed into Vaporlock. Like Vapor, Natasha shifted into being a living mist. But unlike the JLer, Vaporlock wasn't acidic.

Hannibal Bates had become Everyman. A fully realized shape shifter, Everyman could literally become anyone. And so far his capacity for size alterations seemed limitless as well.

The supermodel known simply as Sierra had adopted the guise of Matrix. An artificial life form with that moniker had briefly tried to assume Supergirl's place while Kara In-Ze was in the 31st Century. Matrix had given her life in the defense of others. It was assumed by the Everyman Project bioengineers that Sierra shared that level of commitment. Her powers included flight and invisibility.

Skyman was really Jake Colby. His singular ability was flight. But his skin had adapted to supersonic speeds and his agility was equal to an Owlwoman's. Skyman served as the team's leader.

* * *

During the intense, but woefully brief, battle Matrix turned invisible and fled from the Legion. Fury had transitioned from being Erik to Erika. Darkwing had attempted to rape her after she sliced him to pieces. Psi had pulled him off and strangled him into unconsciousness.

Trajectory was the last Infinitor standing. Her LexCorp instructors had included updated details as to the status and whereabouts of every super team in the United States. So she knew the JLA was just across the state border in Brooklyn. So she headed straight for them in an effort to persuade them to help.

Trajectory had no sooner left Metropolis' city limits when Mercy personally called her back to LexCorp. The Injusticers had arrived and appeared to be friendly. But Mercy wanted Trajectory on hand to ascertain the extent of Nyssa al Ghul's goodwill.

* * *

Black Spider found himself taking the beating of his life. While Inertia wasn't the strongest foe Black Spider had ever faced, he was the fastest. And his speed and momentum carried enough kinetic energy to provide a mule kick with every punch.

But he finally managed to trip the teen, almost at the cost of dislocating his hip. While Inertia tucked and rolled, Black Spider fired a grappler line and lifted himself off the street onto an overhanging glass and metal awning projecting out over the LexCorp building's entrance. Inertia had lost track of him in the roll that carried him under the awning.

While Black Spider assembled the rifle he carried in a case strapped to his back, Inertia ran to and fro looking for him. Finally the teen came to an abrupt halt. Black Spider took careful aim and fired at Inertia's head.

But Trajectory swatted the bullet into the street pavement. She pointed the way while Inertia stared at her in disbelief, "There, idiot!"

Black Spider grappled his way to a higher point and then used an explosive charge to destroy a window and affect an entrance into LexCorp. While Inertia busied himself with uselessly dismantling the awning, Trajectory raced inside of LexCorp to deal with Black Spider herself.

Trajectory caught up with Black Spider on the Twelfth Floor. She sped past him a hundred times in under thirty seconds. Each pass she'd shoulder check him or punch him. It didn't take much longer than that to put him down.

* * *

Psi's TK power kept Sun Girl's solar projections at bay but poor King Shark was rapidly devolving into a mindless eating machine. Psi knew Sun Girl didn't give a rat's ass about the gawking spectators and Psi wasn't certain she really did either but Psi didn't want to have to fend off her own teammate while dueling with Sun Girl.

So Psi shoved King Shark into the milling crowds and broke and ran. As King Shark went on a feeding frenzy, Sun Girl debated what to do about it. Psi fled two blocks over and hailed a cab on. Her skimpy outfit guaranteed she caught at least one cabbie's eye. She demanded the driver take her to the docks.

* * *

Enigma had already learned El Diablo really wasn't in control of his pyrokinetic ability. ARGUS' files on him indicated he'd just begun displaying the power after disappearing for three weeks' time as well as suddenly sporting body tattoos. And his shaven head was theoretically to prevent him from catching his hair on fire not a symbolic gesture.

Enigma had deduced how El Diablo telegraphed the manifestations of his power with his eyes. He would stare at a specific spot before his eyes glazed over. It all happened within seconds but it was more than enough time to keep Enigma ahead of him.

So she was able to approach him unscathed. While he prepared to manifest his ability, Enigma held her ground. And she targeted him with an electrical stream from the head of her question mark topped staff. Even out cold, El Diablo twitches sparked embers all around him.

* * *

Magenta knew as soon as Shrapnel blew himself apart, he had no idea who she was or what she could do. She caught all of his component shards, recently recast into useful bits again, and flew them across town to a wrecking yard still owned and operated by Metallo under an alias. She dumped the components into the crusher and magnetically flipped the switch. Then she listened to the squeal of metal being crushed with some satisfaction.

* * *

Girder had looked forward to a rematch with Blockbuster. Rather than engage her directly, he used all the available vehicles on the street to batter her with. After he'd smashed a tractor trailer over her head, he finally beat her into the ground with his hands. She literally sank into the ground as the street caved into the sewers underneath.

* * *

Signalman used every tool at his disposal against Joker's Daughter but to no avail. Finally he concluded that no rational mind could withstand that barrage. So Duela Dent had to be quite insane. And she had one mother of a hammer she was beating him with. After he went down she tenderized him for a while longer just for giggles.

* * *

"We are both members of the League of Assassins, woman!" Darkwing snarled, "You should be by my side serving my every need and desire."

Syonide cracked him in the balls with her electro whip. As he sank to his knees with a keening whimper, she went behind him and looped her whip around his throat and activated in order to electrocute him. She'd dreamt of this moment for several years now.

* * *

Lady Flash blew out all of Volcana's flames before beating the pyrokinetic senseless. Giganta sulked, "We should be working together, Ms. Flashy. Do you know where my Flash went?"

" _Nyet_ , and we cannot work together as long as you serve your new masters," Lady Flash warned her, "Renounce them and join the Injustice League. I will make a new home for you."

"Sorry, I don't swing both ways," Giganta giggled at her own double entendre.

Lady Flash raced around Giganta until she formed a vortex. As the air thinned, Giganta was lifted helplessly off of the ground. Lady Flash kept on pouring the speed into it until Giganta simply passed out. The Lady Flash skidded to a halt.

As Giganta collapsed, Lady Flash checked her own hands. As Christina had feared, they were shaking rather badly. She could feel the need burning within her. A non meta would have consumed their body's resources by now. Instead, Ivanka Christina Borodin Molotova would be crippled by addiction's desires if she didn't receive a fresh dose of Velocity 9 soon and very soon.

Christina had always had an addictive personality. At first it was the mere rush of having super speed. She endured the painful transformation and served her country's most brutal needs in exchange for the ability to run faster than sound traveled. But then came Red Trinity and they were even faster than Christina. Then the Flash had entered her life and he was the fastest of all.

The knowledge drove the two male members of Blue Trinity mad and they lost control of their more psychotic impulses. Christina was assigned to take them down. So she did…permanently. Then she faked her own death and traveled throughout the world to find a means to match or supersede the Flash at his own game. Along the way she learned about the original Flash, Jesse Quick, Kid Flash, Inertia, Reverse Flash, and Rival. And just when she'd lost all hope of redemption, Vandal Savage found her and offered her Velocity 9.

Savage recruited her to join Nyssa al Ghul's Injustice League. Nyssa supported Vandal Savage's World Army and his efforts as CONTROL to assume the same over the world. But the Justice League had thwarted Savage's plans and set back Nyssa's own ambitions.

Lady Flash had stayed with Nyssa for the simplest of an addict's reasons. Nyssa controlled the supply of Velocity 9 now that Savage was…indisposed. So long as Nyssa controlled the supply of the drug, Lady Flash's demand would keep her loyal.

* * *

Blue Jay struck Sparrow Hawk from behind. She slashed in his general direction with a snort of disgust, "Figures you'd be coward enough to attack me from behind."

"Let's see if you can really fly after all," Blue Jay darted off into the cityscape.

He wove in between buildings, out in and around suspension bridges, and a merry chase between ocean liners. But he always led Sparrow Hawk back to the spires of Metropolis. And he took aim directly at the LexCorp building.

Sparrow Hawk was so focused on catching him; she'd sheathed her sword and was oblivious to all other traffic. She nearly collided with a dirigible as Blue Jay veered around it. And then she was out of earshot to hear him recite an incantation as he neared the LexCorp tower.

Blue Jay suddenly came to an abrupt halt mere inches from the pane glass covering the skyscraper. Sparrow Hawk had no such recourse as one of Silver Sorceress' spells to instantly redirect her. She bounced off the plate glass so hard it shattered the window she'd struck.

Blue Jay caught her by the leg and gently lowered her to the ground. For all her homicidal tendencies, Blue Jay had to respect Danya Helstrom's dedication to her cause. It was complete rubbish but she was devoted to the Legion the way she'd once been devoted to Thanagar in her universe. He also suspected that she hadn't quite forgiven the remaining fifty-two universes for surviving when her universe had been obliterated.

She had no universe to return to and no world in this universe to belong to so she simply flailed about seeking a cause worthy of her devotion. It was just sad that she'd picked such a piss poor one.

* * *

"You're going to be polishing my containment suit with your tongue when I'm through with you," Major Force promised.

"If this is you seducing me, it's no wonder you're lonely," Silver Sorceress quipped.

"Bitch!" Major Force snarled, "I'm going to make you my personal foot soldier. When I tell you to wipe my ass you'll beg me to tell you how many times in between polishing my knob."

Silver Sorceress snapped her fingers and Major Force's radioactive matrix suddenly found itself out of his suit and between Mars and Jupiter, "Oh really? I guess you should have tried candy and flowers then."

* * *

Blacksmith transmuted Big Sir into organic steel and had him looming over Major Disaster. Major Disaster took a step back, "Okay, I give. Turn him back and I'll do whatever you ask me to."

"Not so fast," Blacksmith countered, "Where does the Legion hang its hat nowadays?"

"I don't know," Major Disaster confessed, "Luthor is holed up in the Hall of Doom. That may be in Florida or maybe somewhere in Brazil. I really don't know and haven't cared until now. The three controlling the Legion now had Brainiac directly input the coordinates into my boom tube controller. I arrived to a traditional building. I wasn't shown much with an exterior view but it was a city built along sprawling American lines with an ocean view."

"How do I know you're not lying to me?" Blacksmith countered.

"I have no love for these people," Major Disaster promised her.

"Then why do you work with them?" she wondered.

"My ability is to create and control natural disasters. I can't control naturally generated events. I can only affect those I or someone else creates. Try putting that on a job résumé," Major Disaster complained.

"Then work for me," Blacksmith offered.

"I'm listening, but first…" Major Disaster motioned at Big Sir's shiny body.

He reverted to flesh, "Major Man! Wha' hoppin' ta me?"

"I'll explain later. Best behavior now. We're having a job interview," Major Disaster straightened out Big Sir's helmet.

Blacksmith suddenly realized the depth of the affection between Major Disaster and Big Sir. It was a father-son bond. It wasn't at all the kind of exploitation she'd expected it to be.

* * *

Psycho Pirate made various faces at White Lightning. And he could see he affected her deeply. But she wouldn't back down.

"Take off the Medusa Mask," she finally ordered.

He found he obeyed without question. White Lightning smirked, "Now hand it to me and then beat your head against that lamppost until you knock yourself out."

And again, he complied without question. White Lightning studied the mask. It could prove useful or it could screw with her own hypnotic ability. In any case, it would make a nice present for Nyssa.

* * *

Condor studied Fury as Erika shifted into being Erik once again in his/her dreamless sleep. Condor chuckled, "A true union of the male and female gestalt. The Lords of Chaos will honor your sacrifice."

An arrow pierced his ball sack. Tears came unbidden to Condor's eyes as Nyssa nocked a second arrow to her bowstring, "You!"

"You should have healed around that shaft by now so I truly hope you enjoy pulling it out," Nyssa saluted him.

He pulled it and its exit did more damage than the entrance. Nyssa tipped her bow so Condor could see what type of arrow she had ready, "Recognize this?"

"It can't be!" Condor gasped.

"But it is. One of the last three arrows crafted by the Lord of Order Quoin Ta herself. The League of Assassins sat on these ever since the last war between Order and Chaos and the Age of Order was established," Nyssa explained, "All three were lost amongst the archives and the purpose of the three was lost in living memory. So here we have the only three weapons on Earth that can kill an Avatar."

"But you said…" Condor was still reeling.

"They were lost?" Nyssa was mercilessly mirthful, "So they were but before I was expelled from the League of Assassins I had divined the true purpose of these weapons and stolen them."

"What do you want?" Condor asked.

"I want you and yours to stay out of my way or I'll simply kill three out of four of you," Nyssa proposed.

"If you can," Condor spat.

Nyssa drew the arrow, "Should we test my ability to do so?"

Condor was the oldest and most powerful Avatar on the planet. And a great deal of his power had been drawn from killing other Chaos Avatars. They only reason Osprey and Kestrel were still alive was because the Lords of Chaos had forbade their destruction. Swan was more obvious. She was Condor's lover.

Condor relented, "Clearly state your terms."

"Withdraw from the Legion's service. When I and my own are no longer involved, do what you will. But never oppose any in my service or I will find you and destroy you one by one," Nyssa promised.

"You drive a hard bargain, al Ghul," Condor conceded.

"You've lived a very long time on Earth, Condor. You're the oldest of your kind and the corpses of those you've ridden upon would fill the grandest of canyons. I'm certain you can make your masters see the necessity of one little compromise," Nyssa stated.

"It will be done," Condor promised.

* * *

Nyssa accompanied Condor as he retrieved Osprey. David Cain was more than a little amused, "So it worked."

"So it did," Nyssa agreed.

Condor literally dragged Swan away from White Canary. Cain gave White Canary the signal to stand down. And she watched as the scene replayed itself when Condor commanded that Kestrel back away from the fight with the Wrath.

Kestrel had a female host again and Kestrel wanted to test its limits. Wrath certain looked eager to oblige but he wisely stopped provoking Kestrel when Cain gave him the silent order to back down. So the four Avatars departed Metropolis even as Nyssa gathered the various Injustice teams.

"I see you have…?" Nyssa nodded towards Major Disaster and Big Sir.

"Volunteers," Blacksmith boasted.

"I see," Nyssa was somewhat less receptive to the idea.

"We also have this," White Lightning handed Nyssa the Medusa Mask.

"So we do," Nyssa brightened. She called in a teleport request and they all vanished in red flashes.

* * *

Cheshire and Arsenal approached the Basilisk camp from the surrounding jungle where the ISA had teleported them. They carried a letter of introduction from Slade Wilson. Apparently Deathstroke's name carried enough weight with Regulus that it got them past the perimeter and escorted to Regulus himself. There they found he was already in a parlay with the Rogues.

Captain Cold had stripped down for the weather while Heat Wave finally looked comfortable. Regulus chuckled, "I'd already agreed to meet with envoys from the Legion. Now I have a simple test for you all: trail by combat."

As Regulus stepped away, Arsenal fired a crossbow bolt into Captain Cold's cryoblaster. It discharged and frosted Captain Cold over. Heat Wave got his thermal blaster clear of its holster while Arsenal reloaded. Arsenal got a shot off after Heat Wave had fired over his head.

The bolt jammed itself into the emitter head of Heat Wave's gun. It exploded when he tried to shoot again. Heat Wave's protective suit smoldered as he lay unconscious.

Cheshire used a series of spin kicks to mercilessly beat Pied Piper unconscious before he could ever play a note. She whirled on Mirror Master. He kept two mirrors between them at all times. But her feints and lunges were intended to give Arsenal the opportunity to come behind Mirror Master and use his crossbow to beat the Rogue senseless. Which he did in short order.

Regulus applauded them both, "It seems you are the worthiest. Unfortunately I'd already committed to aiding and abetting the Legion's plans. Their goals for the meta community match my own. But you have purchased safe passage from my camp. Return unbidden and you will die. Face me in the field of battle and you will die again."

"How many times can we be expected to die?" Arsenal's impertinence amused Regulus.

"Ask Slade some time," he suggested, "Now go."

* * *

Brain fumed while Mallah fretted. Majestic had taken over and rebuilt an ancient stronghold. China refused to assist Mongolia in ejecting Majestic. The Rocket Red Brigade had dispatched Rocket Reds #25-48 and Majestic had killed every last man. Majestic considered himself a feudal lord far removed from other metas or team threats.

But he hadn't counted on John Lynch to be a mere fifty miles away. Majestic's one fear was that since Lynch had activated his gen factor, he would also discover a way to deactivate it. And in a sense that was true. Lynch had the youngest of Slade Wilson's children with him.

Joshua Wilson, code-named Jericho, could control minds over vast distances. In a very real sense, Jericho was the one threat Saturn Queen hadn't anticipated. But Lynch was too shortsighted for that. He merely wanted to control Majestic.

The Brotherhood had gathered outside of Majestic's fort. The blue flashes delivering the Teen Titans startled them all. Red Hood's explosive munitions devastated Brain's life support chassis. Fairchild managed to knock Mallah out with a single blow.

Ravager stayed ahead of Mammoth's swings. Using her swords to strike key nerve clusters, Ravager paralyzed Mammoth in seconds. And then he used her superhuman agility and strength to beat him until he was out cold.

Miss Martian paralyzed Shimmer with her telepathy. But M'gann M'orzz took a perverse delight in knocking Shimmer out with a right cross. She was beginning to see why the others enjoyed it so much.

Superboy and Wonder Girl did a reverse variant of their hanging Elephant Man trick from their last encounter. He was quickly knocked out. Superboy used his tactile telekinesis to bury Elephant Man up to his neck.

Phobia was under the distinct impression her fear inducing powers were ineffective against Red Robin. The opposite was true. But Red Robin's iron resolve let him continue on despite the fear. He knocked her out in seconds using knockout gas pellets and then tied her up afterwards.

Bunker created construct manacles for Houngan and held him while Skitter stung him. As the venom knocked Houngan out, Skitter webbed him up. Then they watched the final conflict on the field.

Gemini immediately surrendered to Kid Flash and Solstice, "Please, I'm done with the Brotherhood. I'd rather serve my prison sentence than endure another day with the Brain."

Solstice looked to Kid Flash for guidance. He gulped, "Okay, we'll see what Red Robin has to say."

Majestic emerged from the fort, "Obviously these fools can't even stop a group of teens. What hope do they have in conquering the world? What hope do their masters have in the face of a real challenge?"

"Then we'll just be on our way then," Red Robin offered.

"You have to buy your lives by defeating me," Majestic growled.

Superboy was the first to respond with a left-right combination. Majestic's responding swing knocked him out cold. Wonder Girl lassoed him and struck him with thunderbolts while she hammered away at him with several kicks. He used his lower arms to pull her in and head butt her. As he shrugged off the lasso, his right cross ended her participation.

Bunker manacled him while Skitter stung away at Majestic's back. He shattered Bunker's constructs and the psychic backlash knocked him out. Grabbing Skitter he swung her into Red Hood while Jason Todd emptied his clip of explosive bullets into Majestic.

Miss Martian came at him psychically and physically. Majestic was reeling since he had no telepathic shield besides his own overwhelming anger. M'gann felt that anger begin to consume her and she just stopped fighting. Majestic saw her hesitation and smashed several right crosses into her until she was unconscious.

Solstice began firing concentrated light bursts at Majestic. He was about to crush her when Kid Flash scooped her up in a bridal carry and carted her safely away. Fairchild joined the fray at that point.

Her strength was nearly equal his. Only his speed, experience, and savagery carried the day and Fairchild fell before him. Gemini gave Red Robin and Ravager a pleading look.

Rose grinned at Red Robin, "Ready?"

"Of course," he admitted.

Ravager went first. She ran up Majestic's body and then vaulted over as she plunged a dagger in his eye. Red Robin was right behind her with his staff batting away at Majestic. Majestic possessed all the same vulnerable points as an average human. It was just his invulnerability and regenerative capacity made them capable of absorbing more punishment than most.

While Red Robin hammered away at Majestic's weak points, Ravager unsheathed a sword and severed both of Majestic's Achilles' tendons. He collapsed into the dirt.

Ravager knelt and jerked her dagger out of his eye, "You'll heal."

"But you'd best stay out of other conflicts. You posed this challenge and you got your result even if you don't like it. And remember, we're just teenagers. Imagine how the rest of the meta-community will respond to you," Red Robin counseled Majestic.

Kid Flash returned with Solstice in his arms. She looked delighted. Red Robin pulled transponder tags out of his belt and handed them to everyone, "Affix one of these to everyone we want to bring out with us."

As Kid Flash darted about, he still left a few people for Gemini and Solstice to tag. Red Robin studied Rose, "How did you know that would work?"

"My father designed the contingency. I just field tested it," Ravager shrugged.

"Good to know," he murmured. When everyone reported back, the ISA teleported them to the Watchtower. The Brotherhood was isolated and teleported to Iron Heights. Gemini was interviewed and voluntarily returned to Blackgate. The Teen Titans were deposited at the Hall of Justice.

Medical staff attended to the knocked out Titans while Red Robin gave Kid Flash and Solstice time off, "Rose and I will handle the debrief."

Hula Hula collected an after action report from the pair. Afterwards, Rose and Red Robin went to the living quarters section of the Hall. Rose had already tucked away her mask in her belt and she gave him a rapturous smile.

"Alone at last," she sighed, "So, your guest quarters or mine?"

"Rose, I'm not sure we should…" Red Robin stopped talking as she put a finger to his lips.

""Beryl, I'm just suggesting we take some time to be ourselves. Our real selves and let the rest of the world take care of itself for a while. Anything beyond that is sheer bonus," Rose promised him.

"I'm not sure I remember the real me anymore," Red Robin complained.

"Then we'll just have to find him together," Rose's smile was inviting.

"I think I'd like that," Red Robin confessed.

"So, the question remains, should I show you mine or will you show me yours?" Rose laughed.

* * *

Riddler's crew met with Lynch in the village he was staying at. Gunslinger was a mile off sighting them all in with her scope. Riddler, Query, and Echo weren't the threats here. Lynch himself barely qualified as one. But Deathstroke had made it abundantly clear Jericho was.

So when Jericho shuffled out, eyes glazed, and obviously drugged into being nearly comatose, Gunslinger understood why Slade had designated him as the mission's target. Slade had told her killing Joshua was a mercy shoot. And she hated him because he'd sent her to finish a job Slade wasn't certain he would do on his own.

Lynch suddenly jerked his head in her direction and she knew her shot was about to be obscured. So she reflexively fired and stayed on station long enough to watch the back of Jericho's head spray all over the hut he was standing in front of.

Patricia Trayce quickly wrapped up her gear and called for a teleport evac while Lynch's men responded. She was gone before they found her position. But after the Watchtower relayed her to the Hall of Justice, Pat went searching for the bar hidden in the agents' lounge.

* * *

Crimson Jihad met Penguin, Two-Face, and Scarecrow at their arrival site outside of the country's principle international airport. Scarlet Rose informed them they could stay armed but if they attempted to attack the Crimson Queen, Crimson Jihad would literally take their heads.

Deathstroke had made his way into the palace undetected. But he wasn't surprised to find her alone on her throne waiting for him, "You're supposed to be dead."

"I was dead," Crimson Queen promised him, "But Mary Seward reached me before I was completely dead and she revived me with her blood. And I became a vampyr."

"Mary's dead and the rule of a sire is that when they die those they've turned die as well," Deathstroke pointed out, "But Felix Faust had arranged it so that she became the sire of all known vampires."

"Yes, and Faust I made an arrangement. He transformed me from being a vampyr into a succubus," Crimson Queen confessed.

"Must be hard on your lovers," Deathstroke commented.

"It can be," Crimson Queen admitted, "If I sate my appetites with a single person for a prolonged period, they weaken and die. But they die delighting in the manner of their death."

"I'll take your word for it," Deathstroke retorted.

"Why are you here, Slade? What's your mission? Because I can tell you already know you can't kill me," Crimson Queen asked.

"I know where El-Fadil is," Deathstroke announced.

The Crimson Queen froze in place, "You know where my son is?"

"Yes, and I can get him for you," Deathstroke premised.

"There's always a price with you, Slade," Crimson Queen recalled.

"Deny the Legion's request and El-Fadil will be back in your arms," Deathstroke declared.

"Why hasn't Lex taken him if he knows he's alive?" Crimson Queen had to ask.

"Because Luthor doesn't know his son is alive," Deathstroke revealed, "There are few on Earth who do. Until today even I didn't know it."

"The Legion has powerful friends. Friends that could hand me what I want," Crimson Queen countered.

"They don't know or care about El-Fadil. And one of their allies holds him without revealing the fact to Luthor or the Legion," Deathstroke explained, "So weigh your options accordingly."

"Who has El-Fadil?" Crimson Queen demanded.

"And why should I surrender my leverage so early in the game?" Deathstroke wondered.

"I'll agree to your terms if my Crimson Jihad accompanies you," she counter offered.

"And I'll accept that demand if Scarlet Rose accepts my being in tactical and strategic command," Deathstroke replied, "Otherwise your sister will get all of us killed."

"We have a bargain then," Crimson Queen conceded, "Now, find someplace unseen to be."

* * *

Deathstroke had only been hidden for two minutes when Crimson Jihad brought the Legion petitioners before the Crimson Queen. Scimitar kicked the back of Two-Face's knee and Ramjet and Pylon did the same for Scarecrow and Penguin. Scarlet Rose spotted Deathstroke and quietly approached her sister's throne and alerted her of the potential assassin.

"He is in my employ," Crimson Queen whispered to Scarlet Rose, "He knows the location of El-Fadil. You and the Jihad will accompany him on a rescue mission. His word will be my own and you will all faithfully serve him as you would me."

"Anything to retrieve my nephew," Scarlet Rose promised.

She took her place with the rest of the Crimson Jihad while Crimson Queen addressed the Legion, "Gentlemen, I have reviewed the proposal forwarded me by Brainiac. And I must decline participation in your scheme…for now."

Deathstroke knew that was a shot across his bow. Crimson Queen continued, "My eternal loyalties lie with the Bailyan people. My external politics, though, depend a great deal on outside factors. Certain factors are at play even as we speak. Should they fail to deliver, then by all means, Bailya will side with your forces."

"We have an answer for you now," Two-Face tossed his coin. Scimitar created his psychokinetic sword and caught the coin with the flat of its blade. The clean side presented itself, "You have your time."

"How…gracious of you," Crimson Queen wondered if they had any idea of who or what they were dealing with.

Scarlet Rose remained in the palace with the Crimson Jihad escorted the Legionnaires back to the airport. Deathstroke made his presence known, "Nice attempt at blackmail."

"I spoke the truth, nothing more or less," Crimson Queen assured him.

"So where are we going?" Scarlet Rose inquired.

"To Nepal to a little kingdom known as Nanda Parbat," Deathstroke shared what Nyssa had revealed to him.

Crimson Queen's eyes widened. So that explained Talia al Ghul's overture of peace when she'd assumed control over the League of Shadows. It was a lie of omission Talia would now regret.

* * *

Cinder, Horus and Tattooed Man quickly defeated Killer Croc and Mad Hatter but Tala and Bronze Tiger vanished. And moments later the trio found themselves surrounded on all sides by Bronze Tiger and Tala joined by the Injustice Society. The Wizard, Icicle, Tigress, Solomon Grundy, Shiv, Ragdoll, Gentleman Ghost, Shade, Rival, Geo-Mancer, and Killer Wasp looked ready to level the very forest they stood in order to kill the Titans.

"It seems we have unwanted interlopers to deal with," Wizard announced.

* * *

"Great Darkseid is busy at this time," Steppenwolf announced to Grodd and Merlyn, "What petitions do you bring before the Dark Lord?"

"We request the Female Furies be reinstated to Earth," Grodd explained.

"Can't you people ever conquer your own planet?" Steppenwolf asked wearily.

"There are questions of loyalty that need to be answered about the Female Furies and about Luthor," Grodd pointed out, "Luthor has plans to interfere in the current campaign to secure Earth Prime for Darkseid. The Female Furies could insure his loyalties remain pure. And he wouldn't be able to refuse their presence because they would be sent for his own 'protection'. To refuse them would be to admit treason."

"The Furies will be sent," Steppenwolf announced, "That is all."

"Our thanks," Grodd bowed.

As they reentered the boom tube, Merlyn had to wonder, "Why was I even here?"

"To kill me in case they handed me over to Desaad," Grodd confessed.

* * *

"Hell-o, lover," Santana leered at Ultra-Humanite as approached from her African camp. She reached under his metal plating that served as an open loincloth, "Still all hard and nasty when you see me?"

She grinned, "Why yes, you are. How nice."

"We need your help, Santana," Ultra-Humanite could see Dr. Sivana's mind rolling around scenario's where he could force Santana to have sex with him.

"Who's 'we' beside your nasty minded company?" Santana purred.

"The Legion of Doom among others," Ultra-Humanite shared, "Dr. Sivana and Mr. Mind are only two of my associates."

"And how's Rachel?" Santana smirked, "Are you two exclusive or is there wiggle room for me to ride Mr. Big Happy a dozen times or more before we talk business?"

"I'm as free as you are," Ultra-Humanite assured her.

"Boys, make our guests comfortable," Santana ordered her devotees as she led Ultra-Humanite off to her private tent.

She left them with a mutated humanoid rhino with an implanted human mind. The same was true of the lion and the badger with him. The badger served as Santana's aide decamps.

He snapped his fingers, "Follow me."

"Any chance of any carnal recreation?" Sivana questioned the badger.

"The local villages have women who come to us every night to be pleasured by our troupe," the badger explained, "Those who haven't been chosen by Mistress Santana can cavort with the women. So many arrive that we can't possibly attend to all of their needs. So chances are good they'll even settle for a human."

The badger peered at Sivana's shoulder, "I'm doubtful regarding your worm friend's chances though."

"I'm a caterpillar," Mr. Mind's vocoder voice grated.

"Well then, that changes things. I'll have some of the elephants bring bundles of local tree branches. They should sate your more obvious appetite," the badger promised.

"Sounds delightful," Mr. Mind suddenly had visions of unlimited foliage.


	17. Chapter 17

32

Out in the reaches of deep space, on the Almeracian Empire's border with nonaligned space, the Imperial corvette _Stinger_ crossed into Almerac's sovereign territories again. The nonaligned portion of interstellar space had once been part of the Dominion but the Dominators had been driven back to their original pre-invasion space by the Daxamite hero known as alternately as Mon-El or Valor. Mon-El was not Lar Gand's actual name but the young explorer had crash landed on Earth prior to the Dominators invasion between the collapse of the original Justice League Unlimited and its reinstatement as a United Nations Task Force.

Suffering from amnesia, Superman had bequeathed the moniker Mon-El on Lar Gand because he'd crash landed on a Monday and he had Kryptonian styled powers under a yellow sun and DNA marking the Daxamite as an offshoot of Kryptonian stock. During the brief invasion, thousands of humans vanished without a trace since the Dominators had learned of the human meta-genome and wished to harness its power. "Mon-El" operated as a superhero known as Valor throughout the Dominators failed effort to conquer Earth. Having recovered his memory as the Dominators fled, Valor took it upon himself to find and recover the missing humans.

And Valor intercepted a Dominion fleet carrying the humans they were already experimenting on. When Valor crippled the fleet and liberated the gen activated humans, he found all of the survivors possessed superhuman gifts. And some had been physically transformed so they would never blend in with the populace anymore. Others required physical environments too harsh to support terrestrial life on Earth.

So Valor utilized the star charts he'd mapped out coming to Earth and led the humans on a colonization effort throughout the newly liberated regions the Dominators abandoned fleeing from Valor's wrath. While colonies established themselves, Valor protected them from a myriad of external threats and natural disasters. But once the colonies had proven themselves to be viable, a woman named Glorith transferred Valor into the Phantom Zone where he would endure for a thousand years while his legend grew amongst the interstellar human colonies.

Eventually Valor would be freed by the Legion of Super Heroes. An organization born of the legends of the Justice League of Earth and the legends of Valor himself amongst the far flung human colonies. Glorith's plans were two-fold; the first was to create an effective fighting force to block Mordru from achieving universal conquest in the name of the Lords of Chaos. The second was too stymie her own former master, the Time Trapper, from doing the same and securing past, present, and future in his own name.

That wasn't to imply Glorith was altruistic. Her plans for the LSH were to eventually manipulate them into defeating Darkseid's revived ambitions when he awoke from a thousand year slumber and allow her to become the Dark Queen that ruled the universe. And with her complete mastery over time itself, she'd planted agents throughout the timeline and throughout the known and unknown universe in order to secure her desired outcomes.

But none of that was of any consequence to the _Stinger's_ crew. The colonial space Valor had carved out had merely served as a convenient neutral meeting site for the crew's rendezvous with Dominion envoys. Earlier in the week, they'd met with the Khunds and persuaded them to wage total war against the Gordanians. Not to be outdone by their savage rivals, the Dominators had agreed to Almerac's proposals as well. Now, having secured the future of her people, Kalea-El was returning home.

* * *

"The busard collectors are almost done siphoning hydrogen gas from the brown dwarf we're orbiting," Captain Alara informed Kalea. Alara was Kalea's frequent co-conspirator on the former Crown Princess' missions of state and Kalea's one true friend, "The reactor inside the hyperdrive is almost filled to capacity. One more jump and we're back at Almerac itself."

"So I take it the Empress has granted us clearance through the pickets," Kalea sounded amused.

"Kalea, you just saved the Empire. Neither the Empress Maxima nor the Warlord Ultraa are going to blow you out of space on your way to report your success," Alara frowned.

"How many times do I have to remind you I'm still an exile?" Kalea mused, "I can't even legally cross the border."

"And you've been an agent of Maxima's Empire just as you were of Marcus' Democratic Reform Movement," Alara knew it still hurt Kalea to hear Marcus' name but sometimes she needed a good kick in the head and hearing the name of the man Kalea had loved and personally executed usually did the trick, "You've been 'illegally' going in and out of Almerac's border since before the war began."

"Maybe today's the day they settle my case then," Kalea didn't sound frightened. Nor did she sound pessimistic or resigned. She simply sounded…content. With Almerac saved from annihilation at Gordanian hands, Kalea knew her mission was over. She'd accept whatever reward her mother felt due her. Whether renewed exile on Argo once again or execution this time around.

"I know what you're thinking," Alara accused. And she did because Kalea had confided her expectations to Alara in the past, "Maxima will not execute her own daughter and I doubt you're headed back to Argo. You saved the Empire! You wanted to earn your legal redemption and the opportunity to restore your citizenship. Gods, woman! I think you've done enough. Stop punishing yourself."

Kalea finally turned from the observation port to face Alara. Seeing _two_ startling blue eyes still surprised Alara. Kalea had openly worn her cybernetic prosthetics since she'd received them. Her artificial eye had always looked normal expect for its red iris. Now it color matched her natural left eye. And her right arm was covered in synthetic flesh for the very first time. Alara knew beneath Kalea's pants her legs were similarly covered.

Kalea had never asked the Techno-Organic Union to cut away her healthy limbs but once they did so, Kalea had done as she always did and bulldozed her way through the Almeracian prejudices against cybernetics. Of course, until a thousand years ago prosthetics had been accepted by the people until renegade physicians used them to control their patients and stage a palace coup. Since then implants and prosthetics weren't banned but the stigma was so great no one accepted them.

And then the Crown Princess herself had been transformed into a cyborg. Several assassination attempts had occurred afterwards. The perpetrators always described their mission as one of mercy. Kalea had simply grown to flaunt her distinctiveness as though she were courting death.

So when Kalea had returned from the Techno-Organic Union with a new eye and flesh covered limbs, Alara had naturally asked Kalea why she'd changed her stance. Kalea's answer was simplicity itself, "It's hard to work undercover when you're the most noticeable person in the room."

It was only afterwards that Alara learned of Kalea's overtures to the Khunds and the Dominators. Her change of appearance was subtle enough to throw them off. They thought she was a decoy and not Kalea herself. But once they saw Maxima's writ authorizing Kalea to negotiate on her behalf, both sides willingly sat down for talks. And no one ever thought to hold a no value hostage.

And Kalea would have made an attractive prize for the Dominators. Five thousand years ago, when Almerac first began its path of conquest, Krypton had reached out as well and conquered over a thousand worlds. But a thousand years ago they abandoned all of their colonies except for Argo, Krypton's sister planet. The Daxamites had refused to return to Krypton since exposure to the planet had altered their genetic code. Their intense allergy to lead came from being born in Daxam's biosphere so the Daxamites would have been lepers amongst the genetically "pure" Kryptonians. Even Argoans were suspects in the purists' minds.

Kalea was a child of both Krypton's last scion and the Blood Royal of Almerac. No Dominator geneticist could have resisted such a prize subject. And Almerac would have gone to war to liberate Kalea. Five thousand years of Imperial rule built upon the back of subjects and slaves, it had taken a genocidal war to teach Almerac's nobility and citizens that all of the races and species living with Imperial borders shared an equal passion in defense of their lives.

The Almeracian nobility possessed gifts even the average Almeracian could only dream of. Psychokinetic abilities including telekinesis, flight, telepathy, and metallurgical manipulation. All of which Maxima had enjoyed since birth. But Kalea's Kryptonian heritage minimized her Almeracian gifts. Her DNA carried the traits but they were all recessive in her. But since they were there at all meant a Dominator could harness them.

And Kalea's legal status notwithstanding Maxima would have emptied vital defense points to send fleets to rescue her only daughter. And Ultraa would have led the campaign. Maxima's heart still leaned towards Kal-El and his example but Superman refused to leave Earth and the people were pressuring Maxima to take a consort again. Ultraa was a hero to the masses and after the Democratic Reform disaster, so was Maxima.

Maxima's reforms were finally going through because Maxima had selected commoners, citizens and subjects alike, along with specially chosen slaves from across racial divides to manage the implementation of those reforms that affected them. Who better to govern change than those who the change directly impacted?

But Kalea knew very well that Ultraa truly admired her mother and would probably be her consort. A development Kalea understandably had mixed feelings about despite the logic behind it. Maxima was still early into her child bearing years so Maxima could still have numerous children from Ultraa just as her father, Kal-El, had another daughter by Diana of Themiscyra.

Kalea thought it was just as well she no longer had ambitions regarding the Imperial throne. A pure blood offspring of the Almeracian Blood Royal would supersede Kalea's own claims to it. Alara saw the cloud in Kalea's eye and changed the subject.

"The reactor should be coming online any minute now," Alara told Kalea, "We're almost home."

"Any news from the front?" Kalea asked.

"The Gordanians are repositioning their fleets. Long range sensors and intelligence assets indicate both the Khunds and the Dominators struck the Gordanians flanks. Unconfirmed reports have a coalition of Vegan forces led by Thanagarian survivors attacking the Gordanian rear," Alara happily reported, "The pockets left behind have been driven back by our front line forces and our lines have been reinforced from the rear. The Empire's central holdings are being secured by the reserves. All in all, it seems your plan is a resounding success."

"So long as no commander transforms into a glory hound and advances beyond our old borders," Kalea sighed, "The Khunds and the Dominators would see that as a betrayal and would turn on us as soon as the Gordanians are dealt with."

"Warlord Ultraa expressed himself in the…starkest of terms when it came to the fate of whoever crossed the reclaimed border," Alara smirked.

" _Captain Alara, report to the bridge. We have a potentially hostile unknown inbound straight for us,"_ Lt. Jendo, Alara's second in command, announced through the intercom.

"Disable the Doomsday weapon," Kalea commanded. The corvette class vessels in Imperial service served a two-fold mission. Inserting themselves into otherwise unreachable areas for reconnaissance and to the deliver a supernova causing weapon of system wide destruction if ordered to. But the weapon could be permanently sabotaged upon the captain's, or the mission specialist's, command. As mission specialist, Kalea outranked Alara aboard her own ship.

Alara gave instructions while she and Kalea left the observation deck and went straight to the bridge nestled in the heart of the ship. She didn't waste time upon her arrival, "Identify the threat."

"Unknown," Jendo repeated, "It appears to be a lone rider on a rocket cycle that isn't wearing an atmo suit."

"What?" Alara was stunned into disbelief, "No one can survive hard vacuum."

"Lobo can," Kalea named the dreaded last Czarnian.

"Lobo is a bounty hunter," Alara was shaken by the thought, "He'd have no interest in a military vessel."

"A military vessel transporting _me_ ," Kalea stressed, "I have more enemies than the Empire itself."

And Alara knew Kalea had earned every one of them, "Distance to intercept?"

"Five thousand klicks," Jendo began sweating.

"Disengage the drive section and the forward batteries and pilot the command section to a nearby moon," Kalea commanded, "He may believe we died in the crash."

"He might be right," Alara hated to admit.

"Captain, the closer we are to the drive section when the reactor is breached the surer that bet is going to be," Kalea warned her friend.

"Do it," Alara tersely ordered.

The bridge crew sealed the section off from the rest of the ship. The engineers in the rear and the gunnery crew in the forward hull were now left for dead. Alara called up a chart of the solar system.

"Where are we?" Kalea asked.

"Over the planet Orinae in the Orias solar system. There's a moon nearby called Granitus. It has an atmosphere thick enough to protect us from cosmic rays. But it's mostly a carbon dioxide atmosphere so we'll need rebreather masks to convert the air into something breathable," Alara read off her data.

"Captain, the hostile has breached the drive section. The reactor has gone critical," Jendo reported.

"All hands brace for impact! Alara shouted.

Even without the Doomsday weapon, a critical fusion reactor detonated like a small supernova. The shock waves drove the command section into Granitus' surface making an already hard landing a harsh one. Half the bridge complement died, including Jendo. Four enlisted officers survived. Jax, Setter, Imiya, and Jarri called out one by one when asked about their status.

"No one could have survived that explosion," Alara reasoned.

"I could have," Kalea pointed out, "And so could Lobo."

Alara did not want to hear that.

* * *

"It seems your daughter's plan is already bearing fruit," Ultraa concluded at the end of his report to Maxima, "We've already secured our former borders and have advanced no further as we were pledged to. I admit I initially had my doubts but this is sheer brilliance."

"It will be recorded as such if the Dominators and the Khunds turn on each other next as Kalea surmised they would," Maxima was still cautious in her outlook, "But the reasoning is sound enough. Predators thin the herd by striking the weakest and the Gordanians have severely weakened themselves by first engaging the Thanagarians in a prolonged war before setting in on us. Kalea's argument was that though the Dominion and the Khund Empire will eventually emerge stronger we'll have had a thousand years or more to bolster our own defenses and develop alliances to strengthen our position with."

"I was also leery of the conscription protocols but it seems the best soldiers aren't always Almeracians nor are the best officers necessarily nobles," Ultraa admitted.

"It only took the common cause of mutual survival to impart those lessons to our noble classes," Maxima said ruefully, "Things other galactic cultures learned earlier despite their own arrogance. I suppose we're just lucky to have lived long enough to absorb the lesson ourselves."

"It could have been worse," Ultraa observed, "We could have been Kryptonians. They were our greatest rivals at one time and now all that exists is the lone city-state of Kandor. Tell me, does either Kal-El or Kalea know of its continued existence?"

"Kal-El doesn't have a clue," Maxima shuddered, "And there's no telling what Kalea knows. I certainly didn't expect her to come back toting Argo's great library with her much less have her master the Kryptonians' written language during her time in exile on Argo."

"I understand Kalea has mastered the art of accessing all manner of forbidden information," Ultraa said wryly.

"At least she's learned some circumspection to go with her prodigious talents," Maxima sighed.

"Do you think this is a great enough personal triumph for her to finally accept being reinstated as an Imperial citizen?" Ultraa asked.

"Even if she's stubborn enough to refuse I'll make a decree to that effect anyway," Maxima decided, "Her conviction on the charge of treason will be exonerated and she'll be welcomed back to Almerac."

"Not that it's kept her away," Ultraa pointed out, "What about her succession to the throne?"

"Even if I were to restore her legal right to it, I believe she would abdicate," Maxima observed, "Kalea has learned that she doesn't handle power very well."

"But that leaves you wanting another heir," Ultraa was quick to point out.

"Kalea quite bluntly informed me she expected you to provide that service," Maxima said drolly.

"I'd be honored but why…?" Ultraa was confused.

"Kalea chose you as worthy to the task as well as worthy in the eyes of the people. They'd accept you in a way that only the greatest war hero of our time could ask for. Kal-El would always be a stranger amongst us no matter what kind of deeds he performed. When the Empire was at its gravest peril it was Ultraa that delivered it not Kal-El," Maxima modestly admitted.

"Yet you love him," Ultraa realized.

"Love is a strong word. I'm enamored with him. But it isn't really him in the end. It's what he represents. He's shown me what Almerac can be. A haven where subjects are granted safety, education, security, and opportunity. And these will be granted regardless of social status. Whether slave, subject, citizen, or noble, everyone will enjoy certain basic rights," Maxima boldly proclaimed.

"I can't say I quite see your vision but it does sound ambitious," Ultraa conceded.

"That's because we're products of the old nobility. The nobility that almost destroyed our empire when rebels ousted me and began tearing apart our system before everyone's eyes to the detriment of losing a genocidal war," Maxima still felt affronted by Marcus' blind delusion.

"If I cannot serve your vision, I will go into self exile rather than betray it or you," Ultraa pledged.

And Maxima had renewed hope for him after all.

* * *

Jax, Setter, Imiya, and Jarri were set up with pulse rifles and explosive charges all along the ridge lines surrounding the furrow the bridge module had plowed into the terrain. Alara stood to one side of the crater they were in and Kalea was on the other side of the ship. Alara relied upon gear to serve as a spotter for her troops while Kalea's natural and unnatural attributes served the same function.

An explosion lifted from a rock ridge. Weapons fire and several explosions filled the crater. Kalea used her super speed to approach Alara's position. More explosions followed and then Lobo rode over the ridge and straight at Alara. The front forks of his rocket cycle impaled Alara's chest just as Kalea reached her.

"Hey, Chicky-poo! It's the Main Man here ta collect yer sorry ass. Don't fight it, Sweets, or I'll just have to farkin' break every frackin' bone in yer luscious bod. Got it?" Lobo dismounted from his bike.

Kalea took one last look at Alara's still form. And then she got angry, "Who hired you?"

"I don't know and I don't care. Some bastich on Earth that's all I know. But I'm gettin' a bonus if I just deliver your head and I get a freebie outta usin' yer mouth as my personal cream pie after I rip it clean off. So don't make me screw up yer face or jaws. Okay?" Lobo thought he was being reasonable.

Kalea exploded into action. Her opening right cross broke Lobo's jaw. Her second blow dislocated the two halves. The she snapped his breastbone in half with a knee strike followed by pummeling his rib cage with her knees so that the splinters punctured his heart and lungs. He was vomiting blood when she relented.

But Kalea knew a few things about Lobo. He was the last Czarnian because he'd killed the rest of his race as a secondary school experiment. Afterwards he'd given himself top marks for the project. His healing factor was off the charts. In fact, he only required a single cell remaining in order to regenerate his whole body with genetically imprinted knowledge and memories.

So Kalea's natural eye glowed a deeper shade of red than ever before. The Orias system orbited a blue star. Since it was two scales beyond a yellow star, Kalea's Kryptonian attributes were supercharged in this environment. So her enhanced strength had torn Lobo apart and now her augmented heat vision incinerated him down to a single cell.

But she couldn't manage to destroy that final cell since it regenerated so rapidly it healed before it was injured. So she let it go. And then cell division began to take place at an accelerated rate. But as there grew to be more cells the process would slow as more and more complex structures were built.

Kalea tore his rocket cycle apart and melted down anything that could be used to repair it should he undo the flattening job she performed. And anything that could be utilized as a communicator was likewise destroyed. Then she turned to the wrecked command module.

Lifting it and rolling it to one side, she ripped the hatches off of the bottom of the ship. Then she tossed aside the module. Rigging its self destruct, she returned to the shuttle that sat on the hatches. Her aided and unaided eye scanned the shuttle for damages. Not seeing anything, she boarded it.

Sealing the exterior and interior hatches, she pressurized the hull. Then she listened for microscopic leaks. Satisfied her ride wouldn't kill her, Kalea fired up the engines and test cycled them. Then she removed her rebreather mask and tested the air. Afterwards she went through the preflight check before lifting off of Granitus' surface.

Exiting the Orias system, Kalea sent a message to her mother.

* * *

Even at faster than light speeds, the message took over forty minutes to reach Almerac. Then it had to escalate through military communications before arriving at the palace and the ascending through a new tier of servants. In all, Kalea had been en route to Earth for two hours before Maxima learned of it. She immediately sent for Ultraa.

"I beg your pardon, Warlord. But a grave matter has come to my attention," Maxima told her after he arrived.

"An Empress need never beg her servant," Ultraa assured her.

"Yet I'd hoped we might have moved past that point earlier today," Maxima confided. She could see him swell with hope, "Kalea sent word. The corvette named _Stinger_ was lost with all hands. Their attacker was the Czarnian known only as Lobo."

Ultraa hissed his distaste, "He is known to me."

"I need you to proceed to the Orias system and go to the brown dwarf named Orinae and there will be a moon called Granitus. Kalea reduced this Lobo to a single cell but she said he's regenerating at a phenomenal rate. Hopefully he won't have devised a means off the moon before you arrive," Maxima told him, "I want you to use any means necessary to persuade Lobo to discuss why he attacked my daughter on the eve of her triumph."

"You think the matters are related," Ultraa surmised.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Maxima admitted.

"Lobo is a mercenary. Money and the opportunity to brag generally cause his lips to loosen," Ultraa shared.

"The imperial coffers are open," Maxima assured him, "Just try not to bankrupt the treasury."

Ultraa smiled when she did so first, "It will be done."

As Ultraa departed, Maxima looked up the solar system again, "I know it will, sweet Ultraa."

* * *

Kalea watched the miasma of light that typified hyperspace. Alara had been her only remaining friend and her loss hit Kalea like a sledgehammer between the eyes. Almerac maintained a listening post inside of Earth's solar system. It was a military secret that she wasn't supposed to know. Just as she wasn't supposed to be able to access the data feeds transmitted by the automated post.

Kalea's sense of justice may have been redefined several times over during her young life but her sense of purpose remained undiminished. Something or someone had gotten control over her father. And duplicates of Kal-El and Diana served beside him, presumably from an alternate universe. The thought of pummeling Diana's duplicate was a childhood fantasy come true.

At one point Kalea had wanted nothing more than to kill both of her parents. Now she couldn't imagine not trying to secure their safety and well being. Maxima was relatively safe on Almerac but Kal-El, or the ridiculous Clark Kent he liked to be known as, was another matter. Kalea could guess at this point that the person or persons responsible for her father's behavior were also directly responsible for Lobo's killing spree.

If so, she's take Alara's death out of their hides. But she was at a loss of who to approach upon arriving at Earth. Normally her point of contact would be Superman but her father was obviously not to be trusted right now. And the Justice League as she'd known it was no more.

Now there were four Justice Leagues, each an independent rival of the others. Kara In-Ze was nowhere to be found but Galatea was still active. And Kalea thought it poetic irony when she found out Galatea was based out of a new Hall of Justice rebuilt from the ashes of the one Kalea had destroyed.

Her father had spoken to her of crisis management on Earth. He'd admitted there was one man he trusted to do the right thing should his mind be taken over gain. That man was Batman. And the monitoring station reported that Batman also seemed to be at the Hall of Justice. So Kalea had her destination laid out. Hopefully they'd give her a chance to explain.

* * *

Majestic found John Lynch negotiating with the Riddler. He laughed as he pushed past Query and Echo. Once he was inside, he made a simple declaration.

"I want in," Majestic told Riddler.

"What happed to the Brain?" Riddler inquired.

"The same thing that embarrassed me. A group of teenage misfits," Majestic growled, "What happened to the boy whose brains are decorating the doorframe?"

"Slade Wilson's youngest son. He was my insurance policy to require you to speak with me," Lynch told him.

"Force me to, you mean," Majestic retorted.

"Well, it seems Slade found his son to be a greater threat than I am," Lynch dismissed that particular notion.

"Gentlemen, no one will be controlling you. We reserve that privilege for recruiting our enemies to our side," Riddler assured them both, "And if you join with us now you won't ever be considered an enemy."

"Who all has sided with you already?" Lynch asked.

Riddler gave them a short list and added Regulus' name as a candidate, "And we haven't heard from the Injustice Society and whoever is claiming to be the Crimson Queen."

"So Slade hasn't enlisted?" Lynch sought clarification.

"No, he's established his hostile intentions by opposing our captive Justice Leagues," Riddler specified, "We believe Nyssa al Ghul and her Injusticers have made a similar choice."

"Granting either a measure of freedom is a fatal mistake waiting to happen," Lynch griped.

"Especially since you got Slade's youngest boy killed," Majestic thought that was just too funny.

"If you're both serious, take these," Riddler handed each of them an earpiece with a small transceiver to be clipped to a belt; "We'll contact you with mission parameters when you're needed."

"I'm in as long as I get to pulp those kids," Majestic promised.

"Eloquent as always," Lynch snidely remarked, "And just as subtle."

"Actions are eloquence enough," Riddler assured them both.

As Riddler departed with Query and Echo, Lynch turned to Majestic, "I think it's time we set aside our differences and form a partnership of our own to offset any betrayals the Legion may have in mind."

"I know how to contact Regulus. He'll want in as well," Majestic opined.

"I already took the liberty before this buffoon tracked me down," Lynch assured him, "Regulus will even throw the weight of Basilisk behind him."

"So what do we do about Slade?" Majestic asked, "Because he won't go down without a fight."

"Slade isn't our only problem. Steve Trevor and Dinah Lance are members of the Justice League of America and stand opposed to the Legion's plans as well. We will encounter them all and when we do we must insure we're the only three surviving members of Team 7 afterwards," Lynch vowed.

"I can live with doing whatever it takes," Majestic promised.

"And so say we all," Lynch agreed, vouching for Regulus.

* * *

Deathstroke studied Nanda Parbat's outer walls and sentry positions through a range finding telescope. A pair of binoculars was just dead weight to man with only one eye. The roving foot patrols seemed randomized at first but given enough time their pattern emerged as well. It was evening in Nepal and the cover of darkness aided Crimson Jihad and the League of Assassins in equal measures. The Crimson Queen's elite force had been all too eager to join Deathstroke on a mission to liberate the Crimson Queen's son, Luthor El-Fadil.

The Persian descended Bailyans had forgiven the Crimson Queen for being born from an Arabic mother years ago. They'd also indulged their Queen in assembling an Arabic meta-human force. Devoutly Shiite, they'd also overlooked her Sunni heritage and her largely secular ways.

Her people were largely unaware that the "Arab Spring" that occurred earlier in the year had created several new Arab states in Africa. The first was a mirror image named Bialya run by a Col. Rumaan Harjavti. Bialya was territory taken from its surrounding neighbors, Libya's western ranges, Algeria's eastern lands, Tunisia's southern escarpment, and Niger's northern tip. Unlike many of the other revolutions, Harjavti's hadn't been supported by Western powers. But the Crimson Queen had supplied material backing and the Crimson Jihad as a surgical commando unit.

A buffer state between Libya and Egypt had also been fashioned by revolution. Kahndaq was a recreation of a kingdom that had been swallowed by the Pharaohs of old. Hawkman, Black Adam, and Dr. Fate would easily recognize its borders since Kahndaq's final fall had occurred under the reign of Khufu with Teth-Adam as his champion and Nabu as his chief advisor.

Teth-Adam had actually been born on Kahndaq before his parents were taken as slaves by the previous Pharaoh. The Tomaz family also derived from Kahndaqian stock so both Adrianna and Ahmud were well informed regarding its recreation as a state.

Scarlet Rose and her team studied all of the same points of interest that Deathstroke did but they drew entirely different conclusions. Scarlet Rose was the first to admit, "This won't be easy."

"Try impossible," Jewel complained.

"No, it's doable," Deathstroke countered and activated his range finding laser, "Find my laser point and you'll see your point of entrance."

He quickly winked out the laser before some assassin spotted the red dot on the perimeter wall. The Crimson Jihad studied it and the surrounding area with their night vision gear. It soon became obvious that the indicated section of wall was outside of the normal patrol overlaps. Hardly any men guarded the wall itself.

"I must be blind to have missed that," Scarlet Rose complained.

"It's sleight of hand. They want to draw your attention to the gates where they can collapse an army onto your position," Deathstroke revealed, "But they're still trained in old school methodologies. They aren't prepared for agents with your abilities."

"Your reputation is that you work alone," Scarlet Rose indicated, "I take it we're the distraction?"

"The rest of your group is the exterior distraction," Deathstroke clarified, "You're penetrating the fortress with me."

"I'm surprised," Scarlet Rose confessed, "Why am I being honored?"

"Because you're the only one that can get in and out alive," Deathstroke said bluntly, "I need you to send a message to Talia. She has to know she's still vulnerable after all."

"How?" Scarlet Rose asked.

"Her chambers are guarded by dozens of identical men named Ubu. Your job is to decimate the Ubus," Deathstroke informed her.

"But why stop there?" Scarlet Rose asked.

"Talia will realize you didn't have to and you only left her alive out of professional courtesy for not simply killing your nephew," Deathstroke explained, "Her warped sense of honor will manage the rest."

"And who will you be facing while rescuing El-Fadil?" Scarlet Rose asked scornfully.

"Only Lady Shiva and her handpicked cadre," Deathstroke calmly answered, "Want to trade?"

"No," Scarlet Rose succinctly, and meekly, answered.

"I'll get El-Fadil out and to you but you'll have to leave without me. I'll make my own way off of this mountain after I secure your exit," Deathstroke told her.

"Will the ISA fulfill their bargain to return to Bailya?" Scarlet Rose didn't protest Deathstroke's offer of self sacrifice because she felt as certain as he did that he'd get out alive.

"They will or they'll answer to me," Deathstroke replied evenly, "Call it enlightened self-interest."

"Are you certain you wish to be left behind?" Scarlet Rose's tone softened.

"Once your band is gone, I won't have to hold back anymore," Deathstroke explained, "And my legend will pass into the folklore of the League of Assassins so I won't have to worry about them interfering in my operations anymore."

"You're confident," Scarlet Rose remarked, "But is it misplaced?"

"The League is good. Damn good. But I'm just better," Deathstroke convinced her.

"So when do we proceed?" Scarlet Rose asked.

"Take twenty minutes to attend to biological functions and then we spend the next hour positioning ourselves. At the end of that hour we move into position and go right on the end of that hour."

And what if we're not in position?" Scarlet Rose wondered.

"We will be or I'll kill every man and woman who wasn't," Deathstroke pledged.

* * *

The Injustice Society was using three RVs and a tent to camp out in Bird Creek Meadows inside the Yakima Nation Reservation just east of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Bordering on the Mt. Adams Range, the Yakima Nation had possession of one-quarter of the dormant volcanic mountain while the national forest encompassed the other three-quarters of it.

The Gifford Pinchot itself included the Mt. St. Helens Scenic Park and the mountain itself and as far south as the Columbia River, as far north as the Mt. Rainier National Park, and as far east as the Yakima Nation. The Legion had been set to meet the Injustice Society at nearby Indian Creek since it would've been considered neutral ground. But the arrival of the Titans had skewered that notion.

Bronze Tiger and Tala had magically teleported away to summon help from the Injustice Society while Cinder, Horus, and Tattooed Man beat down Killer Croc and Mad Hatter. Now the Titans were the focus of the Injustice Society's ire.

* * *

Cinder unleashed a plasma wave at the Legion/Injustice Society force. Wizard and Tala erected a mystical shield. Solomon Grundy just bore the brunt of it. As Rival sped around the Titans' flank, Horus clotheslined him. Grundy roared as he charged Horus. The would-be Marvel was shoulder checked into the tree line. Falling timbers crashed to the forest floor as a result of the resultant battle.

Tattooed Man unleashed a horde of dark energy tattoo manifestations. Gentleman Ghost was startled when they could grab hold of him. Even the Shade found his Shadow Realm derived powers couldn't shelter him. Shiv and Tigress tried battling their way to the source of their threat.

Icicle took the forefront in the battle against Cinder. Killer Wasp and Geo-Mancer circled around her. She erupted a solar flare-like discharge. Geo-Mancer buried himself in the dirt to recuperate while Killer Wasp took a dive into the creek and rolled around to extinguish the flames. Icicle was just amazed that Cinder had melted his ice barriers with a single discharge.

Horus traded blows with Grundy but found the Chaos magic infused zombie was as powerful as he was. So Horus sped around Grundy and lifted him into the air. Spotting Lookinghouse Lake, Horus swooped off in that direction and dropped Grundy in the center of it. Since he was already dead, it didn't matter of Grundy could swim or not.

Returning to Indian Creek Campground, Horus landed beside Tattooed Man just in time for Rival to bounce off him travelling at a few hundred miles an hour. Bronze Tiger and Ragdoll attacked. Horus discovered that a magically endowed gift of combat knowledge and skill wasn't his patron god's to give. Only his limited invulnerability kept him in the battle against Bronze Tiger.

Ragdoll was brutalizing Tattooed Man and Mark Richards spotted Tigress and Shiv closing the gap. So he unleashed the last of his dark essence tattoos and they plagued the living opponents that he fought. That left others freed to torment Gentleman Ghost and the Shade.

Cinder forced Icicle behind an igloo of his own fashioning. She saw that Killer Wasp, Geo-Mancer, and Rival were ready to rejoin the fight. Horus was having his ass handed to him by Bronze Tiger and Tattooed Man and herself were about to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

She gathered with Tattooed Man, "Signal the ISA we want to extract."

"I think you're right," Tattooed Man agreed.

The Titans vanished in blue flashes of light. Wizard turned to Tala, "You may tell your mistress we agree to an alliance."

"What of poor Grundy?" Tala fretted.

"The simplest of locator spells will find him and bring him here," Wizard promised and then cast the spell.

A dripping wet Grundy blinked as he surveyed his surroundings. Then he tried getting the water out of his ears. Wizard smiled at Tala.

"Satisfied?" he asked.

She summoned the awakening Killer Croc and Mad Hatter, "Now I am."

Bronze Tiger handed out earpieces and transceivers, "You'll receive instructions through these. Somehow I don't think you'll have long to wait before being called into action."

"I should hope not," Wizard declared.

* * *

Pylon used a cylindrical force beam to knock a hole through the selected portion of the League of Shadows' fortress wall. Ramjet flew straight through it, simply because Ramjet could only fly in straight lines. But the field that surrounded him as he flew made him invulnerable to harm and nearly unstoppable. Scimitar was next through the breach as Pylon knocked back swarming outer defenders on both sides. Jewel went through the hole to create a gem-like wall to shield the invaders from overhead archers. Falcon preyed upon everyone Scimitar and Ramjet left standing. With the entire garrison force guarding Nanda Parbat distracted, Deathstroke and Scarlet Rose affected an undetected penetration.

Deathstroke used his sword to easily cut down the patrolling assassins who hadn't joined the outer defense. Scarlet Rose began to wonder once again why she was even with him, "How do you know where to go?"

"Insider information," Deathstroke said curtly.

They reached an inner divide and Deathstroke gave her instructions, "This is the sanctum. If you take a left and go down the corridor until divides you'll then wish to take a subsequent right and go through the double doors. Inside the Ubus will be guarding Talia. Decimate them."

"And you're taking a right here," Scarlet Rose guessed.

"There are two rooms to the right. One is a crèche for all the young raised here until they reach the age to be apprenticed. The second is a nursery. El-Fadil is currently the sole occupant of that nursery," Deathstroke explained, "And he is guarded by Talia's best."

"The Ubus aren't the best?" Scarlet Rose felt insulted.

"No. They're the most unwavering and the most loyal. They'll die at Talia's command without questioning why or hesitating even for a second," Deathstroke explained, "Lady Shiva's force thinks for itself. And Lady Shiva herself has beaten Batman, the Question, and Bronze Tiger. The three most dangerous men in the world besides myself."

"Has she ever beaten you?" Scarlet Rose asked.

"I've never fought her but Nyssa al Ghul has and she told me how to beat Shiva," Deathstroke informed her, "Now it's just a matter of doing it."

"Why has Talia held El-Fadil and not told my sister about it?" Scarlet Rose wondered.

"Talia took El-Fadil from Lex Luthor before her father died as revenge for her son Damian al Ghul's death. No one knows what her ultimate intentions were but Talia reported El-Fadil's death to Luthor when he attempted to persuade her to join in with the Legion of Doom or at least remain neutral in regards to its ambitions. Talia agreed on neutrality. Meanwhile, everyone assumed your nephew was dead," Deathstroke revealed, "Talia's plans are much more convoluted now. She wants to raise El-Fadil and then when Luthor is dead or dying, insert him into inheriting LexCorp since his DNA tests would prove he's Luthor's legitimate heir."

"And this informant of yours disagrees with the plan?" Scarlet Rose asked.

"Not the merits of the plan per se but she does take issue with the method. She just has a hard time separating children from their mothers. She feels it's better to kill them outright than orphan them," Deathstroke explained.

"My sister will want to meet her so that she can properly reward her," Scarlet Rose predicted.

"Maybe someday but I can guarantee it won't be anytime soon," Deathstroke promised her, "Now go. We still have a mission to accomplish."

* * *

Scarlet Rose blasted in the double doors leading to the antechamber filled with men named Ubu. They all roused from their beds and those that had been alert drew their bladed weapons. She manifested psychokinetic bird talons and claws and speared the charging Ubus. Then she crushed the ones within her grasp.

Scarlet Rose began backing down the corridor. Ubus relentlessly followed. She created a glowing rose that bloomed to have razor sharp petals. It began to spin and slice its way through the milling Ubu crowd. Blood sprayed everywhere and the screams lifted into the night.

Scarlet Rose ducked down the junction back to the center hall where she'd split away from Deathstroke. Creating three razor discs she hurled them with her mind into the charging Ubu force. They couldn't duck below and they couldn't leap above them so, other than the pair that managed to squeeze between the spinning death dealing discs, the others were cut to pieces.

But two did advance on her while the final rearguard made its way towards her. Scarlet Rose turned and ran until she reached the outer balconies. Seeing archers trying to circumnavigate Jewel's structure, Scarlet Rose used her bird talons to knock them off of the balcony.

Then she herself leapt from it and created a bird image around her and she flew free of the fortress walls. Ramjet blew through the wall and pursued Scarlet Rose as she soared for the rock outcroppings below Nanda Parbat. Falcon and Scimitar tore through the milling assassins outside the walls. Pylon created a cylinder that they rode inside of as it stretched forth towards Scarlet Rose's position. As they went across the clearing, Jewel sealed the breach with a diamond plug.

* * *

Deathstroke terrified the wet nurse and nursemaids when he burst into the palatial nursery. Luthor El-Fadil's crib was a work of comfort and art. Deathstroke bundled the toddler up in a sling and exited the room. Predictably, the nursemaids had called down Shiva's all female force on him.

"Stand down, let me be, and you won't enter your version of eternity," Deathstroke offered.

"We could say the same, infidel," Lady Shiva's lieutenant offered.

Deathstroke never said another word as he killed Talia's best fighters. Lady Shiva herself met him at his exit point, "You are as good as you were promised to be, Slade Wilson. Hand me the child and I'll grant you a clean death."

"I'll have to settle for a dirty one," Deathstroke knew she couldn't lash out as well as she could if he weren't carrying El-Fadil in the sling. He honestly couldn't gauge how well he would have done if she hadn't been encumbered. Still, he left her alive as a token of his respect.

Deathstroke reached Scarlet Rose's position with half of the League of Assassins pursuing him. He unslung the child and handed him to his aunt, "Go! I'll be fine."

Scarlet Rose nodded to Pylon. He activated the comm. beacon. She gave Slade a grateful gaze as the Crimson Jihad vanished in blue flashes.

Deathstroke drew his sword and yanked his pistol free of its holster and then he gave the League of Assassins something to always remember him by.

* * *

At the undisclosed ARGUS medical facility the JLA currently had patients in, Praxis slipped Gypsy into Galatea Hamilton's mind. What Gypsy found upon entering was a wall built around Power Girl's mind. But the lock wasn't too terribly difficult to pick. But when the gate released, it had no interior lock or handle.

Gypsy felt a rush of mental energy and she barely escaped the wave composed of Power Girl's psyche. Galatea came up out of the bed swinging. Only Blackhawk's presence kept her from tearing Gypsy and Praxis apart.

"Are they on our side?" she asked her husband.

"Long explanation," Blackhawk grinned, "The short version is, yes, they're on our side."

"Our?" Power Girl noted that word.

"The United Nations has given the senior officers of Blackhawk Express permission to assist the JLA however we can during the present crisis. So while the kids field test our new aircraft, Lady Blackhawk and I have volunteered for duty," he explained.

"For now we must cope with Teth-Adam and Adrianna," Praxis pronounced.

"We'll be back later," Gypsy promised.

* * *

What Gypsy found when Praxis inserted into Teth-Adam and Adrianna's minds was that the wall was built around a single word or phrase. "Shazam!" for Teth-Adam and "I am Isis!" for Adrianna. When she unlocked each of their minds, they uttered their particular trigger word and summoned Shazam's mystic lightning and transformed into Black Adam and Isis respectively. The transformation also healed everyone of their mortal injuries.

"How can we repay you?" Black Adam asked as he held Isis.

"By getting back into the fight," Gypsy requested.

"That's a given, child," Isis assured her.

* * *

Sue Dibney arrived after being paged by Praxis. She met them in a patient lounge and welcomed them all back to the fray. Black Adam and Isis took Osiris with them back to the Hall of Justice. Meanwhile Sue told Blackhawk Lady Blackhawk had just arrived at the Hall and was getting her potential assignment from Penny. Penny had requested Blackhawk arrive ASAP for a briefing as well.

Power Girl hungrily kissed Blackhawk before he used his UN issued comm. device to summon a teleport to the Hall of Justice. Sue turned to Praxis and Gypsy, "Could you do this with John Stewart?"

"I don't see why not," Praxis admitted.

"But what's going on in his head?' Gypsy worried.

"That's why we're bringing Tea," Sue nodded towards Power Girl, "If anyone can knock a cranky Green Lantern on his ass, it's her."

* * *

John was held in the hospital wing of Belle Reeve. The prison was administered by ARGUS and held various low to mid-level metas. Without his Green Lantern power ring, John was just a highly trained and capable ex-Marine. But with it, he was nigh unstoppable.

Liberating his mind only took a few seconds. John awoke and eased himself to a seated position, "I don't suppose you've freed Shayera yet?"

"No, we're still on the fence about you," Sue shared.

"He is free of Saturn Queen's influence," Praxis declared.

"Good enough for me," Power Girl added.

"Same here," Gypsy confessed.

"Me too," Sue handed John his power ring.

"Let me charge this thing and I'm all yours," John requested.

"Do you have any idea of where the Hall of Doom or where the Legionnaires are hiding?" Sue had to ask.

"No, and I wish I did," John's growl spoke of coming vengeance.

"That's what I was afraid of," Sue sighed.

* * *

Steve Trevor managed the debriefing-interrogation of Major Disaster and Big Sir. Blacksmith sat in as their advocate. Batman and Nyssa observed from another room via surveillance monitors.

Hula Hula signaled Batman that Deathstroke was now the last Titan to return. He urgently wished to speak to Batman himself. Batman turned to Nyssa.

"Let me know if Trevor misses anything," he requested before departing.

White Rabbit sauntered into the room, "Where's Bats?"

"He's being briefed by Slade," Nyssa told her, "Something you might wish to overhear."

"Nah, Slade briefed me before alerting Bats," White Rabbit winked, "The Crimson Queen is going to tell the Legion to go to hell even if she won't side with us."

"Too bad, she would've made an invaluable informant," Nyssa mused, "How did my 'sister' take being raided?"

"They'll be rebuilding Nanda Parbat for years to come," White Rabbit snickered, "Lady Shiva is severely wounded, her corps of women warriors is dead, and the Ubus are decimated. There's probably less than a dozen of them left. And Talia's sanctum sanctorum was successfully penetrated. The only reason Scarlet Rose didn't go back to finish Talia off was Slade wouldn't let her."

"And I forbade Slade from letting anyone do so when I gave him the information he required to secure the Crimson Queen's cooperation," Nyssa divulged.

"Whatever you told him, the Crimson Queen is ready to bear him children," White Rabbit was amazed, "Can she even still have children?"

"Slade ignored Lynch and had Gunslinger kill his youngest son," Nyssa informed White Rabbit, "I spoke with Pat Trayce about it and she isn't coping well at all. We need to keep an eye on her. If Rose Wilson were to learn of the fate of her half-brother, she could defect from Deathstroke's Titans and join the Teen Titans."

"She's probably going to anyway," White Rabbit dryly observed.

"True, but how many of Slade's secrets would she reveal otherwise?" Nyssa asked.

"There's more to it than that, isn't there?" White Rabbit realized.

"Jericho had uncharted mental abilities, including those that took over and controlled others' minds," Nyssa shared, "He could have been a natural countermeasure to Saturn Queen. Yet Slade killed our option of using him as such."

"Maybe that's exactly why Slade had him killed," White Rabbit ventured.

"Trayce labeled it a 'mercy shoot'," Nyssa revealed, "That's the exact phrase Slade used to persuade her to do it."

"Maybe we should see it that way as well," White Rabbit suggested.

"What's the news from the Order of St. Dumas?" Nyssa changed the subject.

"Sister Lilhy doesn't represent the Order. Hell, she doesn't even represent a majority within the Order," White Rabbit told her, "The majority wants Claire Connelly alive so the Order can control temporal technology."

"Their usual operating standard," Nyssa remarked.

"But a very vocal minority want Connelly dead so no one can have the tech," White Rabbit explained, "Lilhy herself falls in this camp and she's known to have undue…influence over Azrael. So they simply got her to him before the majority ever even got organized."

"Yet Jean-Paul Valley is going along with the scheme," Nyssa observed.

"Yeah, but why?" White Rabbit had to wonder, "He usually is a total suck up to Bats. He'd impale himself on his swords if he thought Batman would approve."

"Jean-Paul wants to be the hero he was bred to be," Nyssa commented, "So he was given an opportunity to do so. Yet his conscience, molded more by Batman than the Order of St. Dumas, is weighing on him. It will be fascinating to see which master he chooses in the end. His own conscience? The Order of St. Dumas? Or Batman?"

"This is gonna get messy," White Rabbit whistled, "What about these two?"

"They're telling the truth. They're largely ignorant of the greater dealings within the Legion," Nyssa stated, "But Blacksmith is in for a disappointment. I'm placing these two within the Injustice League not the Injustice Rogues as she is scheming to do."

"She's gonna be pissed," White Rabbit sing-songed.

"She'll cope or she'll find herself back in that deep hole in Marrakesh where I found her. She leads the Injustice Rogues through my patronage and my pleasure. If either ceased to exist than so does her place in my Injusticers," Nyssa said coldly.

"So if you're satisfied, why let Trevor run with this cock and bull session?" White Rabbit wondered.

"Col. Trevor has felt rather impotent these last few days," Nyssa smiled, "Let's bolster his confidence."

* * *

The Female Furies had arrived at the Hall of Doom and Luthor was feeling antagonistic, "So Darkseid sent you to confirm my loyalties."

"It wasn't my first choice either," Lashina grated, "But the Master commanded it so here we are."

"I'm certain he would've understood if you'd stayed behind to watch your lover die," Luthor sneered, "Or you could've continued to beg him to cure Supreme."

"You could've cured him but instead you punished him for serving the Master instead of you," Lashina growled.

"He chose his loyalties and the price that came with them," Luthor said diffidently.

Lashina snapped her whip around his throat and energized it. He gurgled as he sank to his knees. Gilotina gently laid a hand on Lashina's arm.

"The Master wants him to remain alive," Gilotina silently urged her commander to spare Luthor.

"The Master is used to disappointments," Lashina snarled.

Bernadeth watched it all with rapt intensity. Gilotina drew one of her swords, "Lashina, enough!"

Lashina stopped infusing energy into her whip and Luthor collapsed and gasped for air. She unwound the whip from his throat while he struggled to regain his customary poise. Luthor rose and seemed as confident as ever.

"Human worm, can you cure Dev Em?" Gilotina asked.

"Can I what?" Luthor feigned deafness.

"Can you cure Dev Em?" Lashina ground out. She desperately wanted to torment the man for a longer period of time.

"Perhaps if I was properly motivated," Luthor said condescendingly.

Lashina slammed him up against a nearby bulkhead and whispered so low that even the nearby Gilotina couldn't overhear her, "Darkseid doesn't trust you and right now he certainly doesn't trust me. Perhaps we can be of mutual service to one another. I'm to kill you at the slightest hint of disloyalty. I can engineer it to look like your faithful if you guarantee Dev Em's survival."

"What's she saying?" Bernadeth screamed frantically.

"I can cure Supreme if I can get to him inside the next forty-eight hours," Luthor advised her, "But I need access to Desaad's laboratories."

"I can get you unrestricted access," Lashina promised.

Bernadeth ripped Lashina away from Luthor. Lashina jutted her coiled whip into Bernadeth's throat and energized it. Bernadeth recoiled and drew her twin Feron blades.

Gilotina put her sword to Bernadeth's neck from behind, "I'd be cautious if I were you."

Lashina knew she needed confederates for her burgeoning plan to succeed. Bernadeth, Wunda, and Speed Queen were all too ambitious to cooperate when it was in the best interest to betray her. Malice Vundabar was too flighty. Mad Harriet was appropriately named. Stompa was a long time ally but she doubted Lashina's wisdom in this business since her first loyalty was to Granny Goodness. Artemiz was unpredictable and could land on either side of the loyalty equation. But Gilotina seemed sympathetic to her plight.

"Show us your prisoners," Lashina demanded.

"Excuse me?" Luthor seemed unexpectedly slow to catch on.

"I understand you have Big Barda in custody," Lashina reminded him.

"Yes, we do," she could see the understanding in his eyes now.

"What a coup it would be to bring her to Granny," Bernadeth cackled.

"The honor is yours," Lashina decided, "But you'll need an escort."

"I don't need help," Bernadeth huffed.

"This is Big Barda we're talking about," Lashina scolded her, "Or have you forgotten?"

"How large an escort are you talking?" Bernadeth was suddenly suspicious.

"Artemiz and Gilotina will remain here with me. The rest are yours. Tell Granny you singlehandedly captured Barda. We'll see if she believes you," Lashina offered.

Luthor led them to the dungeon level. Captain Atom's containment suit sagged between the damping rods and the siphons attached to him. Monitors outside cell doors displayed the inert Dr. Mist. Belphegor paced to and fro in her cell. Shayera Hol spent every free moment exercising to capitalize on any chance of escape. Owlwoman was still fueled by grief and rage and reacted to the slightest sound.

Releasing Barda, Lashina stood back while the former commander of the Female Furies attempted to beat her old team into the ground. It took Lashina energizing her whip around Barda's throat to give Stompa and Mad Harriet the opportunity to slow Barda down long enough for the Furies to cooperate well enough to subdue Barda. Then Malice summoned Chessure and the shadow demon carried Barda in its maw as the Female Furies prepared to depart.

Still, Bernadeth couldn't comprehend why Lashina would relinquish the glory of this capture. It was obvious Lashina didn't think Granny Goodness would believe Bernadeth accomplished the capture on her own. Maybe if she included the other Furies in the tale it would be more palatable?

After the others had left, Artemiz confided in Lashina, "I'm surprised you included me in whatever endeavor you're planning."

"It wasn't my first choice," Lashina admitted.

"I'm glad you did though," Artemiz confessed, "It may seem like Unus, Secundus, and Tertius are my only loves but I had a New God lover once."

"What happened then?" Lashina asked.

"The Master deployed him in a strike against Orion and Bekka killed him," Artemiz shared, "So I know what's like to lose a love that consumes your very being. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"Gilotina?" Lashina inquired.

"Maia was her name. Steppenwolf chose her to be his whore. He killed her as she resisted his raping her. The Master chose him over my truth so I know how capricious the Master can be. I will stand by you as you try and rectify this wrong."

"Touching," Luthor sneered.

"Haven't you ever loved anyone?" Lashina scowled.

"I had a son once," Luthor replied, "I didn't even get to know him long enough to love him before he was taken from me."

"I can help you find him," Lashina offered.

"He's dead now," Luthor said evenly, "Killed by the father of an ally."

"There are many types of death. Some aren't as permanent as others," Lashina counseled him, "Now prepare yourself. We're leaving for Apokolips."

* * *

The Justice Leagues were assembled in the main lounge inside the hall of Justice. Trevor was greeting Power Girl's return, "I'm glad to have you back, Galatea. And to have you and Lady Blackhawk aboard as well."

Blackhawk tipped his hat, "Penny has been very forgiving of newbies."

The Teen Titans and JSA All Stars entered the room and began mingling. Trevor spotted Sue signaling him while Deathstroke and Nyssa conferred with Batman, Nightwing, and the White Rabbit. As he departed, Bat-Girl and Starling chatted up Blackhawk and Lady Blackhawk while Katana pulled Power Girl into an adjoining room.

Inside, Question, Huntress, Hawkman, Troia, Black Adam, and Isis waited for her. She was puzzled, "What's going on, guys?"

"We need to discuss one of our own," Question said, "Specifically Azrael and his new handler, Sister Lilhy."

Power Girl knew she wasn't going to like where the conversation would go.

* * *

Nightwing approached Little Mermaid when Batman's confab broke up. Ulla smiled at him, "Something else on your mind other than me, Grayson?"

"Deathstroke and Nyssa are taking the Titans and the Injusticers off the grid for 'unspecified reasons'," Nightwing complained, "First they won't gather with us and now they're off on some secret missions they won't even share with us about."

"Maybe they don't feel comfortable with the rest of us," Ulla suggested, "After all, just a few days ago we would've been arresting them on sight."

"That hasn't stopped Killer Frost," Nightwing deadpanned.

"Well, she does seem attached at Godiva's hip," Ulla admitted, "But her sister and Enchantress are not only representatives of the Justice League Dark but they're practically in bed with the All Stars."

"Don't give Goldilocks any more ideas," Nightwing groaned.

"You know what I meant," Ulla scolded him.

"Anyone seen Black Bat?" Nightwing suddenly wondered.

"Not since the Injusticers began moving around," Ulla realized.

"Let's see if we can find her," Nightwing suggested.

Nightwing and Ulla used Hula Hula's security override to open Cassandra Cain's room. Inside she was utilizing isometric exercises to practice martial arts techniques, "I heard you coming. I was disappointed in that, Dick Grayson."

"We have a social underway. Would you care to join us?" Nightwing asked.

Black Bat turned to face him, "In five minutes Batman is going to assemble the leaders of the respective teams. Deathstroke and Nyssa have already rallied their teams through the teleporter networks. They won't be in attendance as Batman plans the assault on the Hall of Doom."

"Who are you again?" Nightwing asked.

"Please do not disturb my meditations again until we are summoned to deploy," Black Bat shooed them out and sealed the door again. They could hear the lock cycle.

"She's certainly…friendly," Ulla remarked.

Nightwing got Batman's page, "And she's uncannily accurate."

* * *

Red Robin was the only team representative not to arrive on time. Batman grew impatient, "Nightwing, please inform Red Robin if he cannot attend on time when summoned, he will be demoted and I will hand control of the Teen Titans over to Red Hood."

Batman had explained Red Hood's true identity to Nightwing so he knew Batman would be slapping Red Robin's face. And Red Robin obviously looked up to Batman the way Dick had used to admire Batman. Bruce Wayne was a figment of Batman's imagination anyway.

Nightwing tried the social but Red Robin was missing. So he tried the lad's room but there was no response. Grabbing Hula Hula again, he had the Deputy Chief of Operations override the lock only to find Red Robin wasn't there and hadn't been except to drop off a backpack. He knew Ulla had been keeping tabs on all the various team members so he and Hula tracked her down.

They found Ulla with Plastic Man, Penny, and their son. Penny actually provided the major clue, "Ah don't think ya'll find Red Robin all by his little lonesome."

"What'ya mean, Penny?" Hula Hula asked.

"All the Teen Titans are talkin' `bout it. Wherever Rose Wilson is, Red Robin's there with her and vice versa," Penny shared.

Nightwing looked at Ulla and Hula Hula, "Rose Wilson?"

"Slade Wilson's daughter," Penny prompted them all, "Y'know? Deathstroke?"

They all drew a blank and Penny huffed, "Oh, for the luvva...it ain't that hard, people. Ya'll are lookin' for Ravager. She an' Red Robin are turnin' out to be quite a team on and off the field, if ya'll know what Ah mean."

"How can't they with all the subtle clues you gave them?" Plas joked.

"Oh come on! Ah tried subtle and they just gave me stupid looks," Penny complained.

"Thanks, Penny," Nightwing hustled Hula Hula off and Ulla decided to join them.

* * *

Outside of Rose's assigned room, they tried to door chime. Finally a muffled female voice demanded, "Go away!"

Hula Hula overrode the locks and Nightwing ducked as three shuriken sailed by where his head had just been. Two very naked teenagers sprawled across the bed just as the covers and their clothing did across the room. Rose just grinned.

"Good reflexes," she congratulated Nightwing.

Red Robin held a pillow in front of his face and accidently spoke in his native accent, "Can we help you?"

"You were called to a team briefing fifteen minutes ago," Nightwing watched as movement behind the pillow indicated Red Robin was staring at Rose. Without a trace of guilt she showed him his transceiver. She'd obviously turned the sound off.

"Oops," she said in an unrepentant tone.

"Can you excuse me?" Red Robin's accent was back to American generic.

"Use this shower," Nightwing instructed.

"I'll join you!" Rose eagerly hopped off the bed. Ulla blocked her way.

Rose looked angry, "You people have no sense of timing."

"Neither do you," Nightwing accused.

Red Robin emerged fully clothed in record time. Rose gently kissed him, "Until later then."

He smiled at her using one of his expressions, "You know it."

Her cheeks warmed by his using one of her favorite phrases. Then Nightwing hustled Red Robin down the corridor. Hula Hula reported back to the operations center.

Rose, still fully naked, hunted around for her eye patch. She affixed it into place, "Y'know, it's weird but people get more freaked out about my missing eye than they do if I'm naked."

"Everyone's eventually naked," Ulla stated, "Missing eyes are rarer."

"So why are you hanging out?" Rose asked, "Or do you just like the sight of naked women?"

"Get dressed and we'll talk about the Squire," Ulla suggested.

"Um…yeah," Rose used the shower next and then sat down in a chair, "How long have you known?"

"For about ten minutes now," Ulla admitted, "Dr. Mist had suspected of course. The Global Guardians monitored the Knight and Squire for a few years. The Squire actually outdistanced the Knight in skill. So when the Knight took the title from his apprentice and gave it to his own son before the Global Guardians became the Justice League International, Dr. Mist wanted to know what happened to the original Squire. At first the Knight was belligerent but he finally admitted he simply didn't know or care."

"Dr. Mist studied Red Robin's body movements and his analysis said it was a good bet he and the original Squire were the same person. But Red Robin had seemed to find a place with the Teen Titans so we left him alone," Ulla shared, "Now, do you think this should have happened?"

"What do you mean?" Rose was defensive.

"Sex ramps up a relationship to new unheard of levels," Ulla advised Rose, "Do you really believe a relationship between two people on opposing sides can ever work out."

"The sex part wasn't supposed to happen," Rose confessed, "But the more we talked and shared the more things led us here."

"I wish I could be happy for you but you haven't answered the question," Ulla pointed out.

Rose knew the answer already. She just didn't like it.

* * *

Sue's report had filled the blanks until Nightwing returned with Red Robin. Batman glared at Red Robin and ignored Nightwing's pitying the boy. Just as he'd ignored Blacksmith's attitude towards Nyssa after she'd assigned Major Disaster and Big Sir to the Injustice League just as she'd told White Rabbit she would. But Batman also knew Nyssa was facing a serious problem.

White Rabbit excitedly waited for her turn to speak, "The Court of Owls has mobilized its American nests to join Basilisk in taking the Hall of Doom from Luthor. Lynch and Majestic will also be involved. And little birds say the Injustice Society will be there too."

"Will Luthor have any assets on hand to defend the Hall?" Batman asked.

"Not according to my source who is charged by Luthor with securing the installation," White Rabbit told everyone, "Two JLI personnel are being sent as well."

"Which two?" Vapor wondered.

"Booster Gold and Goldstar," White Rabbit explained.

"The perfect pair too protect a temporal agent from a Time Corps rep," Trevor commented.

Black Canary silently agreed with him. Batman wondered how Team 7 had learned of the Time Corps. That meant the entire surviving team did as well.

Batman studied the crowd, "It's time the Justice Leagues took the imitative. Basilisk and the Court of Owls are a good primer. Both Regulus and Majestic will test us so we have to be prepared. John, you're our only member from the Justice League Unlimited. But hopefully we can liberate whoever the Legion is holding prisoner in the Hall of Doom."

"Sounds good to me," John concurred.

"The most important aspect of this operation is preventing the temporal agent inside the Hall of Doom from shifting the facility into neutral time will space moves around it and relocates the base," Batman told them, "I'll field ideas on this one."


	18. Chapter 18

32

Outside the Hall of Doom, transport helicopters were delivering two separate forces. The Court of Owls was supplying mercenaries under the command of an Owl simply addressed as "the Advisor". Basilisk heavy lift transports were arriving, ferrying Basilisk armored shock troops as well as Regulus and John Lynch. Majestic arrived under his own power.

And the Injustice Society simply appeared amidst a flash and a puff of smoke. The Wizard had dallied with being a stage performer back in the early 1900s and his flair for theatricality had never lessened. While the Owl mercs and Basilisk divided up the perimeter in quarter sections, the Injustice Society took charge of the entrance and the Wizard met with the Advisor, Lynch, Majestic, and Regulus for a palaver.

* * *

Inside the Hall of Doom, Calendar Man considered his options. Luthor had left him behind, thankfully, to secure the facility. Grodd had ordered him to welcome the new arrivals, and White Rabbit had simply wanted details as to whoever would eventually arrive. So Calendar Man locked down the sensitive files systems, prepared to greet the strangers, and sent off a message to White Rabbit regarding who they all were.

Calendar Man knew Grodd was still working with the LSV Founders but he wasn't certain if the newcomers were as well. So he unlocked the front gates and prepared the security systems to ambush whoever entered while Calendar Man activated the temporal option and relocated the Hall of Doom to the Northern Africa, the Middle East, or Far Eastern Asia. Anywhere that would cut the intruders off from their exterior support.

* * *

Inside the Hall of Justice's Operations Center, Sue reported to Batman, "We have a huge thermal bloom descending over the building. Exterior cameras don't show anything but the infrared images reveal a ship coming in over the Hall."

Batman found the timing to be curious. Every JL team leader was prepping their teammates for traveling to Florida alongside the JSA All Stars and the Teen Titans. Batman had to know where the threat had come from.

"Show me the readouts," he requested. An outline of a ship appeared in the thermal imagery. It was a profile Batman knew all too well, "Keep everyone indoors. I'll see who Maxima has sent."

"Maxima?" Sue yelped, "As in Almerac's Maxima?"

"The very same," Batman confirmed it.

He strode outside and as he did so, the shuttle decloaked. Then it gingerly made a landing beside the Batmobiles. Batman had to admire the skill of the pilot. But he already had a guess as to who it was.

Batman's eye lenses possessed active filters that displayed just how rapidly the shuttle's surface cooled off before the boarding ramp descended. Batman was surprised by the normalcy of Kalea's appearance but he still easily recognized her. Justice League files indicated the degree of help Kalea had provided in the Justice League's recent multiversal escapade and then how the JL had reciprocated by restoring Maxima to the throne. All at Kalea's behest.

Kalea had been sent to retrieve Maxima to stand trial by the Democratic reformers that had ousted her mother. Yet Kalea's subterfuge had turned the trial into Maxima's platform for reinstatement. Maxima had kept Kalea on as a problem solver despite her daughter's legal entanglements.

And Almerac and its subject worlds were literally fighting for their lives. So if Kalea had been sent to recruit help, she was flat out of luck. Then Kalea did the oddest things. She smiled at Batman and saluted him.

"You must be Batman. My father admires you…and wants to heat vision your feet to the ground at the same time," Kalea shared, "He once asked me to join in your efforts against him should he be brainwashed again."

Batman was disturbed that Kalea had such accurate intelligence regarding developments on Earth, "And you would say he has because…?"

"Because Almerac has monitoring systems planted throughout your solar system," Kalea smirked, "Systems I'm denied access to."

"That hardly seems to have slowed you down," Batman dryly observed.

"I was on my way home when Lobo attacked the ship and crew ferrying me," Kalea supplied some details, "The ship's captain was a friend. I take her loss very personally. Before I reduced Lobo down to a single cell he told me humans had hired him. So it seems my enemies may also be your enemies."

"What are you proposing?" Batman asked.

"A temporary alliance," Kalea offered, "I mean to liberate my father and defend my sister. Doing so with your help is a surer means of success."

"You think the Legion is headed for Themiscyra?" Batman sought clarification.

"Once you have father and have removed me from the playing board then it is a simple matter of logic to destroy Kara In-Ze, her clone named Galatea, Diana, and to secure Alexandra to be raised their servant. And they have the Kal-El and Diana of another universe working for them as well," Kalea laid out her supposition.

"Logical, but last I heard you had no love for your half-sister," Batman countered.

"At one point I had no love of anything or anyone except myself," Kalea admitted, "But in time, either the hatred consumes you or you learn another path and see just how stupid you really are."

"I can't spare anyone from the Justice Leagues," Batman suddenly declared. He could see Kalea was crestfallen, "But I have allies more suited towards your temperament. I'll free them up."

"Time is of the essence," Kalea reminded him, "And we'll need transport and a pilot who has been to Themiscyra before or we'll never find it."

"I have both available," Batman promised her.

* * *

Blue ISA signature flashes delivered the Justice League of America, elements of the Justice League Unlimited, Justice League International, and Justice League Dark beside the Teen Titans and All Stars to the swamp land surrounding the Hall of Doom. The Owl and Basilisk elements immediately swung into action sand the Injustice Society prepared to repel anyone that approached them. Majestic, the Advisor, and Regulus exited the Hall to engage the Justice League forces. Lynch remained indoors to monitor Calendar Man and the interior.

* * *

Penny flew the Invisible Jet while Blackhawk served as her copilot and Lady Blackhawk manned the weapons/countermeasures station. Kalea sat by at the communications gear.

"So you've been there?" Kalea asked Penny through the headphones.

"Yup, Ah was there a few years ago. Queen Hippolyta laid out a royal spread for me and Dr. Light. Princess Diana had Supes on the brain and it sorely tested Hippolyta's resolve," Penny shared, "Seems the queen didn't much care for the notion of her little girl marryin' anyone less than a god. `Course, when Diana's pedigree came out, it all made a perverse kinda sense."

"Diana has pedigree?" Kalea found that hard to believe.

So Penny explained. As the mystical veil parted, Themiscyra became visible before them, "There it is."

"Y'know these Amazons act all huffy but they're actually quite friendly…if ya'll are women. We're bringin' men folk in so there's gonna be trouble," Penny warned.

"You haven't seen an overreaction until Diana spots me," Kalea issued her own warning.

Aresia stopped Kalea before she disembarked, "They will not accept me here. I'm an exile, a criminal to these self righteous whores."

"Sounds familiar," Kalea remarked before descending down the ramp. Deathstroke and Nyssa each took a side of the ramp and led their processions down.

"I need to speak to your Princess," Kalea announced to the Amazonian guard assembling at the baser of the plane.

"She's brought men with her!" an Amazon hissed.

"You should know, Hestia," Deathstroke replied and removed his helmet.

"Slade?' Hestia hesitated, "You…you haven't aged."

"Neither have you," Deathstroke reaffixed his helmet.

"But you've lost an eye so there has been at least one change," Hestia said with satisfaction.

"Kalea!" Diana shouted her challenge as she wielded a sword, shield, and her Lasso of Truth to accompany Hera's armor, "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to help defend Alexandra," Kalea declared.

"From whom?" Diana demanded to know.

The sound of teleporter deliveries filled the air. Kalea nodded back towards the Amazon's temple barracks, "From them."

* * *

Batman and Green Lantern flew over the burgeoning battlefield. John Stewart was impressed by Batman's Azrael designed outfit, "Pretty amazing suit you're wearing now."

"It's doing its job so far," Batman dismissed the notion. John realized that while the outfit was new and different the wearer was the same old Bats.

They landed on the top of the dome formed by the Hall of Doom's upper stories. Batman looked around until he found a hatch. Activating a digital interface and display on his inner wrist, Batman picked the lock and the hatch popped open.

Batman simply dropped through the opening. John used his power ring to levitate down to the floor below. Batman led Green Lantern through the corridors, using both his natural and enhanced senses to stay alert of potential hazards. Finally, he ducked into a room filled with computers.

"It's a library of some kind," Batman explained to GL.

"Do you know whatever happened when the JLA captured Flash?" John asked.

"Yes," Batman simply answered.

"And you're not going to share, are you?" John realized.

"No, I'm not," Batman confirmed for him, "Let's go."

"Don't we need a map or a schematic at least?" Green Lantern wondered.

"It's all in my onboard computer and displayed in my HUD," Batman pointed at his eyes.

"Is Shayera still here?" John worried.

"She's here with Dr. Mist, Captain Atom, Belphegor, and Owlwoman," Batman informed him, "But Barda and Mother of Champions have been removed. They have plans of breeding Doomsday with Mother of Champions."

"Yeech," John couldn't help it.

"I agree," Batman revealed, "Don't worry, John. Shayera is still safe. But the internal security system isn't reading anyone but the prisoners and us. I find that hard to believe. The detention center is obviously a trap. So you're going to spring it."

Batman used a laser from his belt to map out where John needed to go and then carved the panel off of the wall, "This will lead you straight to Shayera."

"Where are you going?" John asked.

"There's still the Legion's temporal agent I need to secure," Batman explained.

"Won't they track you?" John asked.

Batman dialed his belt buckle and vanished from sight. John swept the area with his ring and there was still no sign of Batman, "Nice suit."

* * *

John followed his "map" and explored the Hall of Doom. He was beginning to suspect some dimensional folding was at play here. The interior was much larger than the exterior which could easily indicate the interior inhabited a pocket dimension or that sections of the Hall of Doom's interior were partitioned off into pocket dimensions. But eventually he reached the detention center.

Seeing Captain Atom staked up against a wall and suspended by siphons, Green Lantern grew angry. And because of his anger, he lost focus and Lynch was able to hurl him against a bulkhead with a psychokinetic shove. As John recovered his wits, Lynch made himself known.

"Before you attempt to do something against me with your vaunted power ring, please recall that I have your wife prisoner here," Lynch held up a remote trigger, "If I let go of this, every cell in this dungeon will be flooded with a nerve agent guaranteed to kill everything down to the cockroaches."

John had no intention of surrendering. And he knew Shayera would understand his choice. So he applied his will to his power ring.

* * *

Batman reached the chronal chamber. Seemingly undetected, he discovered the Legion's "time machine" was a sedated Chinese woman, who was kept naked, fed through IVs to reduce bodily waster, and had a catheter inserted to collect the liquid waste that was yielded up by her body. Various electrodes were attached to her forehead and a few covered vital organs.

He unbound her, pulled all of the medical equipment free and then roused her with smelling salts. She came awake slowly but when she was fully cognizant of her surroundings she began to panic. Batman decloaked at that point.

The woman nearly climbed the back of her recliner, "Who are you?"

She'd asked it in Cantonese. Then she repeated the question in English. Studying the red emblem on his chest, she finally put it together.

"Are you Batman?" she inquired.

"Who are you?" he angrily demanded to know.

"I'm Jai," she replied, eyes still darting to and fro.

"What's your professional name?" he asked sharply.

Jai was beginning to understand now, "I'm called Lady Chronos. I picked up David Clinton's mantle after he died serving the Suicide Squad. Can I have some clothes?"

Batman rifled through the dresser that sat in the room and handed what he'd found to her. The attire was similar to Chronos' old costume but tailored differently enough to be unique. Batman judged that the clothing wasn't necessary for her to use her temporal powers.

"Why are you here?" Batman tersely asked.

"I don't know," Lady Chronos had abandoned any hope of privacy.

"I don't believe you," Batman growled.

"I met with Lex Luthor and everything went blank until you awoke me," she checked her wrist display, "Oh. My. God. That was six months, three days, eight hours, and fifty-seven seconds ago."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Batman wasn't encouraging. And he was utterly without remorse or pity. She'd chosen to meet with Luthor and received exactly what she'd earned through that meeting.

"Your meter is very precise and very accurate," Calendar Man entered the room brandishing a plasma rifle.

"Don't even think of it, Day," Batman warned him.

Julian Day chuckled, "Too late for that, I'm afraid. Consider this moment a perk of the job."

Lady Chronos activated her powers on Calendar Man. He stood in place while the Earth rotated thousands of miles a second beneath him. When she released him, he reappeared in synch with the world on the Indian-Pakistani border surrounded on all sides by troops demanding he surrender. Calendar Man dully realized how he'd arrived and cursed himself for not dealing with the woman first.

* * *

Icicle started off the fight by freezing Steve Trevor's assault rifle. It shattered as the Colonel dropped it. Starling opened fire on him and he erected an ice barrier between them.

As Trevor drew his sidearm and opened fire, Starling yelled out, "I'm going hot!"

She dropped her rifle's magazine and pulled the ejector bolt to clear the chambered round. Then she slapped in a magazine filled with tracer rounds. The phosphorous within them would burn even in the ice. The rounds were also armor piercing to give them a greater impact as they penetrated.

Trevor and Starling kept Icicle's focus on them while Bat-Girl cleared the ice wall. She shot Icicle in the leg with her own pistol. He reflexively cast a cold wave at her which froze Bat-Girl on the spot.

Plainly visible to her JLA teammates, Starling saw Bat-Girl's fate, "Sonuvabitch!"

"Keep his head down as I approach," Trevor ordered.

"I'll blow his goddamn head clean off if he pops it up again down range," Starling promised.

Trevor vaulted over the ice, sliding into a crouch. Icicle ducked under Starling's ongoing barrage, "Is she nuts or what?"

"Surrender now and we can call this good," Trevor offered, "It's mid-day in Florida and even though it's winter it's still warm for you."

Icicle froze Trevor in place,"Or I could freeze you and spear the psycho bitch's heart with an ice dagger."

* * *

"You're no Stargirl but you worked with Little Miss Courtney so that's enough for me. Tell Courtney 'hello' when she joins you in hell," Shiv boasted.

"Anyone ever tell you you have serious antisocial tendencies?" Huntress asked.

"You're a fine one to talk," Shiv snorted, "And I was Blue Valley High's head cheerleader. So I was expected to be a bitch. And I've got the Dragon King for a father. He just wants me to be as much of a psychopath as he is."

"How about we swap whiny family stories after I kick your shiny ass?" Huntress offered.

"Fine," Shiv huffed and tossed her serpent staff at Huntress.

Huntress caught it, "Is this a joke?"

"It is now," Shiv activated the metal python and it began trying to wrap around Huntress and crush her as it constricted, "Seems pretty damn funny to me."

Huntress stabbed the mechanized snake in the red lensed eye and thrashed the blade about until she'd destroyed the CPU and hard drive running the mechanoid. She shrugged it off, "Aw. I bwoke your little toy."

Shiv screamed as she attacked Huntress. Blades popped out of nearly every square inch of her armor. Which made it difficult to fight back. Difficult, but not impossible.

Helena Bertinelli had faced more difficult foes. Shiv's armor didn't include her head, which presented a dandy target. And her joints were all free of edged defenses. So Huntress simply gauged Shiv's skills while she prepared to inflict real damage.

* * *

Ragdoll's modified fighting acumen exemplified the full potential of a triple jointed opponent. But Question had been trained by the very best. Richard Dragon seemed to simply be a crippled recluse but he'd forgotten more about martial arts than the greatest teacher living with the League of Assassins.

The list of the world's greatest martial artist was very small. Richard Dragon had been the undisputed king of them all before Ben Turner betrayed his friend and crippled him with a sneak attack while defending a mutual goal. Turner had gone on to become Bronze Tiger.

Lady Shiva was another on that list. Lady Shiva had been sent to dissuade Vic Sage from publishing a report. After she'd beaten him half to death, she brought Vic to her old friend, Dragon.

Slade Wilson was another member of that elite company. David Cain another. Batman was considered Richard Dragon's heir apparent. But Cain had raised a daughter born of Lady Shiva. Cassandra was the ultimate expression of Cain's knowledge and experience. In time she could easily surpass her parents and even revoke the title of supremacy from Batman.

Katana and Judomaster also contended to be included in the list of the elite fighters. Ragdoll put a new twist into things but he easily settled into repeating patterns. And predictability was the foe of a fighter.

* * *

"I've heard of you," Tigress confessed to Katana, "You're the housewife turned baddest assed assassin."

"Others also lay claim to that title," Katana demurred.

"Spare me the modesty crap. I see it in your eyes and one predator knows another," Tigress smirked, "You have 'Natural Born Killer' written all over you. Almost every piece of that outfit of yours can be used as a weapon."

Katana had to respect Tigress for that deduction, "We shall see."

Tigress yanked up her crossbow into her shoulder and fired. The bolt hurled itself towards Katana's right eye. She simply plucked the quarrel out of the air and snapped the shaft between her fingers.

"Hot damn!" Tigress exuded, "You are going to be fun."

Katana had the SoulTaker free of its scabbard before Tigress could even react. She pulled knives out of the sheathes strapped to her legs, "Okay then, let's do this for real."

Tigress lunged towards Katana.

* * *

Geo-Mancer jutted a rock shelf out of the swamp and tried to crash it down on Plastic Man, Animal Man, and Crimson Fox. Plas got his teammates to safety before impact. Geo-Mancer laughed.

The ground turned to dry quicksand beneath Plas' feet and he was swallowed by the earth. Animal Man bounded at Geo-Mancer with the ferocity and speed of an enraged baboon. Dirt flew around Animal Man and corkscrewed into the earth, taking Animal Man with it.

Crimson Fox drew first blood with the metal claws mounted on her fingertips. Plastic Man had become a drill and bored out of the ground. Crimson Fox waved him down.

"Please _mon ami_ , the fiend has buried Animal Man under the earth. You must help find him before he suffocates," Crimson Fox pleaded.

"No!" Geo-Mancer snarled, "You're mine!"

Crimson Fox instantly regretted that Geo-Mancer was besotted with her thanks to her pheromones. He opened the ground beneath her and she plunged into the hole. Plastic Man dove after her as the rupture sealed behind them.

Geo-Mancer felt like celebrating and yet he just knew things weren't over quite yet. Besides, he'd just murdered the woman of his dreams. He needed a few minutes to mourn.

* * *

Hawkman had to admit Killer Wasp's ability to hover and then dart in any direction was awfully handy. It made close quarters combat nearly impossible. And Carter was a melee fighter.

But Killer Wasp possessed a bioelectric "sting" that gave him a distance weapon. But Wildcat had confessed that Killer Wasp was a competent hand to hand opponent. But Carter had a gift that Killer Wasp couldn't compete with.

Starting with Khufu, Hawkman had reincarnated throughout history as a warrior. And he had thousands of years of combat experience, tactical and strategic planning skills at his disposal. It seemed his intuition served him just as well.

Hawkman had attached his usual sword and mace to his belt but he's also brought along a metal spear. Every weapon was forged from Nth metal. And Nth metal was an empathic metal that added to one's strength and accuracy. Carter would have loved to learn how Deathstroke had gotten enough of it to forge his armor.

So as Killer Wasp came within range to employ his sting, Hawkman used his spear to force Killer Wasp to withdraw. But Killer Wasp's obsession with Wildcat had proven he wasn't a patient man. Hawkman just had to endure and wait for his foe to become reckless.

* * *

Rival raced about beating Ri and Darknight senseless. Troia tried snaring him from the air but he always outraced her effort. And Donna Troy of Earth-52 had a new gift from Hephaestus. Instead of a golden Lasso of Truth or a red Lasso of Thunder, Troia carried a blue Lasso of Persuasion. Once she roped Rival, he'd do anything she commanded.

But Troia was too slow to capture Rival. As Ri and Darknight simply collapsed under the barrage of fists, Troia landed nearby. Her plan was to simply loop the lasso over Rival while he attacked her. But she quickly discovered that was an easier premise than an easy execution.

Donna finally understood Carter's lament regarding their lack of a speedster on staff. Or at least having one to train with for such events. Troia was determined to rope Rival even if it cost her nearly every bone in her body.

* * *

"I'd bug out if I was you, girlie," Majestic warned the approaching Power Girl, "I won't go soft on you."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Power Girl shared, "You see, I've read your service jacket, Sgt. James Bronson. I've even read portions of your ARGUS records. You were a decorated soldier before being recruited by ARGUS to join Team 7. But what you didn't realize at the time was Waller recruited based upon tour meta-gene test results and Lynch was there to activate your gen factor. The successful missions were just gravy to ARGUS. Their singular goal was to create a Kryptonian level countermeasure. And they succeeded with you."

Majestic gaped at her as she continued, "After the mission to secure the Eclipso stone, the survivors went their separate ways and most of you had to 'persuade' ARGUS not to continue pursuing you. So they developed the CADMUS project to start over. And that's where I came in."

"Who are you?" Majestic had to ask.

"They call me 'Power Girl' but my given name is Galatea. I'm your replacement," Power Girl shared, "And I don't see why we have to fight. We were both created for a single purpose, we abandoned that purpose, and we've found new goals to achieve."

"Except your goal has you working for the wrong side," Majestic accused.

"I used to work with the Legion. I found I didn't like it much," Power Girl revealed, "So I joined the Global Guardians first, the Justice League Unlimited when Superman got his head out of his ass, and eventually arrived with the Justice League of America."

"You're the clone," Majestic realized.

Galatea forgave him that reference despite the fact she despised it. Majestic easily matched her Argoan might, and he could fly, and move at equally super speeds, and he had an accelerated healing factor off the charts. But he lacked all her more "exotic" powers.

Majestic attacked while PG had other things on her mind. But she managed to block most of his blows. The ones that connected confirmed he was on par with her strength wise. She cracked him one when she had an opening just to test his invulnerability. It seemed that was on Argoan terms as well.

Power Girl moved in and dropped him to the ground below with a single punch. Then she landed next to him. As he swung his right arm at her, she wrapped herself around it and clamped his chest and back with her legs. The she dropped into the dirt.

"Gordansky trained you," she observed.

"Yeah, so?" Majestic wondered as he struggled to break free.

"I broke Gordansky in half," Galatea dislocated his shoulder and he screamed. Gordansky's had come out of the socket and clean off of his body. Galatea had then folded him in half, breaking his spine in the process.

Power Girl disengaged. Majestic's arm hung uselessly by his side, "Oh, you'll pay for that."

"Or I could stop going easy on you," Power Girl advised him, "You're all power with no control. I learned control at the cost of men and woman's lives. But ARGUS has no interest in you at this time. Fly away and run to some third world country to set up a kingdom in. Be someone else's problem."

Majestic thought long and hard, "What if I agree?"

"Come here," Power Girl instructed, "C'mon, I don't bite."

She counter-levered his arm and snapped it back into socket, "Given your rate of healing that should be sore for another twenty minutes before it stop bothering you."

"What if I change my mind and fight you?" Majestic asked.

Power Girl's eyes sizzled as they glowed red, "I have alternative means of persuasion at my disposal."

"Good point," Majestic launched himself into the air and headed out to the Atlantic.

* * *

Dean Higgins' gen factor was two-fold. He could control technology and influence human minds with post-hypnotic messages. So as Regulus he'd created a battle suit equal to any presumed Marvel.

Regulus found Black Adam's divinely reinforced mind now proofed against mentalist powers. But his suit was earning the faith he'd always had in it. Regulus had been part of military intelligence before joining Team 7. Having his consciousness merged with that of the Kaizen of Gamorra brought with it an epiphany that whoever controlled the meta-humans in the world would also control the world itself.

Applying intelligence gathering doctrine to obtaining the DEO's files on every catalogued meta-human, Regulus went further and determined their personal loyalties. Having deduced a hit list of nonconformists, Regulus set out to build an army to accomplish his goal. So Basilisk had been created.

Having started with smaller fish in an enormous pond, Regulus had dreamt of the day he would face a Justice League or a Marvel or Super. Today, two of his dreams had come true. The physical might provided by the armor leveled the playing field but Regulus Voulge-style polearm tipped the balance in Regulus' favor.

The extendable and retractable pole weapon's bladed cap energized the blade's edge with antimatter. So it could cut through Black Adam's nearly invulnerable flesh. But Regulus had underestimated Black Adam's divine speed.

Snatching the polearm out of Regulus' hands, Black Adam snapped it in half, "Let's see how well you do without your trinkets."

* * *

Isis caused plants to erupt out of the swamp and entangle Solomon Grundy. Then she flew straight and true for the Hall of Doom's entrance and stopped waited while the zombie tore loose of his entanglements. Then he built up steam as he trudged after Isis. Unable to stop himself, he smashed the doors to the Hall of Doom open as Isis dodged out of his way.

"Oops," Grundy said mournfully.

* * *

"Ah, an Azrael and a…I have no clue," Wizard lamented.

"Hey!" Batwoman pointed at her bat emblem on her chest.

"A bat…apparently," Wizard yawned.

"How do you know what I am?" Azrael wanted to know.

"The Order of St. Dumas has used the same crests since the mid-16th Century. I've encountered two Azraels before you," Wizard boasted.

"Impossible," Azrael hissed.

"Nothing is impossible," Wizard chuckled.

"Got that right!" Batwoman threw a batarang at the Wizard. When it struck him it transformed into a series of metal bands.

"Gah!" Wizard struggle to free himself but with his arms pinned next to him he couldn't properly channel energy through his wand.

Azrael extended his gauntlet blades and ignited them, "Now tell me everything you know."

"I shall endeavor to do my best but it may require more lifetimes than you possess, Jean-Paul Valley," Wizard managed to twirl his wand and he and Azrael vanished in a flash and a puff of smoke.

"Damn it!" Batwoman snarled. She'd promised Rocki she'd return all of the smart metal components that she carried.

* * *

The Shade enveloped Guy Gardner in utter darkness derived from the Shadow Realms. Guy laughed at him, "That the best ya got? `Cause yer mother is scarier."

"You wear a yellow power ring based on fear. So you claim to have mastered your fears," Shade pronounced from the darkness, "But I control fear itself."

And the darkness came to life.

* * *

Gypsy used her camouflage ability to turn nearly invisible against the Advisor's Owl hired mercenaries. As she randomly attacked mercs, they activated their thermal imaging. Despite the midday sun, Gypsy displayed as a ghost in their viewers. So her task was to stay close to foes in order to blunt shots from being fired at a friendly while she tried not to be overwhelmed by a trained soldier.

* * *

Praxis stunned the first four man squad by merely wishing them to sleep. The next squad held their distance. So he transformed into mental energy and tormented them.

* * *

Little Mermaid couldn't fly without presenting herself as a target and despite her pressure adapted physiology, armor piercing rounds would penetrate her skin. So she relied upon her strength to wipe out the first squad she encountered. Then she had to struggle to stay close enough in not to get shot.

* * *

Black Bat tore through the ranks. Fighting impossible odds had been part of her training regimen. Cassandra Cain just moved faster and hit more efficiently to brutalize her enemies.

* * *

Batwing relied as heavily on his body armor has his weapons and combat techniques. Eventually two squads joined together to attempt to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. But they quickly learned that it would take every last one of them and maybe more besides.

* * *

Godiva's hair simply confused the mercenaries attacking her. It was everywhere and seemed capable of anything. It didn't help their cause that Killer Frost had her flanks and back. Killer Frost seemed to delight in freezing armed soldiers. Godiva made a note to ask her why later.

* * *

Goldilocks used her own power, identical to her older sister Godiva's to rip weapons out of enemy hands and wound them and those near them. But where Godiva was trying to preserve life, even criminal life. Goldilocks wasn't so inclined. If she could disable a Basilisk trooper so be it but otherwise she'd simply kill them.

And then the armored squad moved in.

* * *

Nightshade's effectiveness was limited by her guilt. Tired of drawing people into the Night Force and abandoning them, Nightshade used it as a means to move undetected and ambush Basilisk forces. But when she ran out of traditional foes, they deployed an armored unit against her.

* * *

Black Orchid was assisted by her plant elemental powers in the swamp environment. But Basilisk advanced its flamethrower equipped troops against her. And the fight became one of simple survival.

* * *

Silver Swan's song deflected the armored troopers' bullets. By changing pitch and tone, she could create a sonic beam of energy that would cut through almost anything. The Basilisk force responding by utilizing white sound generators to neutralize Silver Swan's vocal abilities. That left her with her wings and her superhuman strength. And the armored suits were designed for those contingencies.

* * *

Enchantress couldn't harm living beings. But she could summon swarms of alligators to attack Basilisk troopers knee deep in water. And she could create walls of fire to separate them from her. Finally they deployed armor against her. She smirked because she knew this would be too easy.

* * *

Wildcat had fought long and hard but sheer numbers threatened to overwhelm him now. And the Owl mercs had broken out riot gear and had bullet proof shields and batons versus Wildcat's fists. But Wildcat was determined to display why he'd been the longest reigning champion at Roulette's Meta-Human Brawl

* * *

When Dr. Mid-Nite threw his blackout bombs, the mercenaries activated thermal imagers and broke out riot gear. Even though a single squad engaged Dr. Mid-Nite, he was woefully unprepared for them. He frantically sought a way to change tactics.

* * *

The mercs didn't even hesitate to pit three squads of riot troopers against Shining Knight. Sir Justin almost reveled in the combat. It had been ages since he'd taken on a dozen men at once.

* * *

The Owl forces fired tear gas at Hawk and Dove. Hawk simply ignored it as he bulldozed through assorted squad s of gas masked soldiers. Dove agilely tore masks off and let them inhale their own tear gas.

Where Dove dodged rifle fire, Hawk let them shoot him so he could terrify them as he healed in front of them. So the mercs switched to a grenade. Hawk's machismo almost got him killed.

As he lay with his guts hanging out, struggling to just stay alive, Dove was distracted by Hawk's plight. A rifle butt to the head sent her sprawling. A four man squad lined up to execute her.

* * *

Vibe was rattling teeth until Lady Chronos' temporal displacement. Then he was distracted and received a blow to the head. Mercs called in his disablement and awaited word on whether or not to execute him.

* * *

Lightning used her power on several merc squads at once. They'd all been standing in water. And afterwards she realized Cyclone and King Chimera had as well. She dragged them out of the water because American alligators, unlike crocodiles, wouldn't leave the water to drag prey underwater. Or, at least she thought she had the two straight.

* * *

Red Robin and Ravager proved to be a highly effective team against Basilisk. One naturally covered the other one's backside seamlessly. So when the armored units deployed, Ravager could only grin.

"Now this should be fun," she decided.

Red Robin suddenly realized the missing component in his understanding of Rose Wilson was that she was an action junkie.

* * *

Basilisk had access to all of NOWHERE's supposedly "deleted" files. So they were well aware of Superboy and his tactile telekinesis. So they knocked him out with ranged weapons.

The armor made each wearer equal to Wonder Girl's demigoddess status strength. They were also insulated against the Lasso of Thunder. And there were four to her one. She suddenly wished she'd taken Diana up on her offer to train Cassie.

* * *

Guessing M'gann M'orzz was a Green Martian, Basilisk used flames against her. But as a White Martian, she was immune to fire's effects. But the four armored troopers were telepathically shielded by a damper field. So Miss Martian was deprived of her most powerful weapon. But she chose to stand and fight on her newfound friends' behalf.

* * *

Red Hood's highly trained agility and marksmanship kept him ahead of the four armored soldier attacking him. Basilisk had nothing on Red Hood beyond that it was the Joker's original identity, and certainly nothing on how the League of Assassins had trained Jason Todd to take up that mantle. All they knew for certain was that Red Hood had betrayed the Outsiders to their deaths.

* * *

Fairchild was stronger than Superboy or Wonder Girl or Miss Martian. But Caitlin Fairchild was untrained in the use of her awesome might. So surrounded by four armored Basilisk units, Fairchild really didn't know where to begin.

* * *

Basilisk used a repulsor generator to slow Kid Flash down to a crawl. And they used an energy damper to absorb Solstice's solar powered light bursts. But neither Teen Titan was willing to give up.

* * *

Bunker and Skitter were being overwhelmed. Skitter's sting was ineffective against armored personnel and her webs were simply burned away. Bunker had been reduced to creating barrier walls to keep back the battering ram force beams the Basilisk squad was employing.

* * *

Nightwing singled out the Owl known as the "Advisor". Advisor chuckled behind his Owl mask, "I'm surprised you put that costume on again, Richard Grayson. Or do you still prefer 'Dick'?"

"How do you know my name?" Nightwing was trying not to show how stunned he was.

"You were chosen too be a Talon. Boss Zuccho was manipulated into killing your parents. But Bruce Wayne's charity hadn't been factored in. You were supposed to be raised by the Court of Owls," Advisor answered, "But we had to go with our second option and train up Calvin Rose. Now that has been a disappointment."

"Who?" Nightwing was beyond confused.

"Surely Batman mentioned him to you," Advisor suggested.

"We really don't talk," Nightwing grated, "When did you infiltrate Spyral?"

"As soon as Agent Zero and Spyder created the agency," Advisor told him.

"They're both dead," Nightwing coldly informed him.

"They've each been dead a dozen times before. Trust me, they'll get over it," Advisor was almost flippant.

"Why do you know about me?" Nightwing asked.

"Call me 'uncle'," Lincoln March said as he lifted away the Owl mask.

* * *

Kalea confronted Ultraman in the skies above Themiscyra, "So, you're the Kal-El of another universe. What brings you to the Prime Universe?"

"It's a universe filled with opportunity. Where else could I have met with my mother and fathers?" Ultraman asked, "And it's Kal-L. Not stupid old Kal-El."

Kalea caught the linguistic difference. She also spotted Saturn Queen, Cosmic King, and Lightning Lord as they made their move on the temple grounds below. They certainly fit the profile of a "mother and fathers". And somewhere below, Hippolyta and the Amazons guarded Alexandra.

"I hate to tell you this, but I have no idea of what that 'U' on your chest stands for," Kalea admitted.

"I'm Ultraman," he said proudly, "And just who the hell are you?"

"I'm Kalea-El. Strictly no one of importance," Kalea assured him, "But if you persist in trying to capture Superman and Wonder Woman's daughter I will kill you and everyone that came with you. Just a head's up."

"Why?" Ultraman was confused.

"Because it's my prerogative," Kalea announced.

Ultraman shrugged, "Okay."

Kalea was beginning to realize Ultraman was a very basic creature as he sped towards her. Her responding right cross stopped him cold. Ultraman's punch spun Kalea in midair but she carried the momentum and transformed it into a backspin kick that connected with his right temple.

Ultraman crashed into the clearing beneath them and Kalea pursued him. Diana was busy fighting her husband. Just as Kalea herself wasn't quite as powerful as her father so Diana wasn't either despite her demigoddess status.

During the Justice League's multiversal escapade, Diana had learned the truth about her mother's lies. Diana hadn't been sculpted from clay and brought to life by Hera. Diana had been conceived by a union between Hades and Hippolyta. Which had explained Hades' persistent patronizing tone towards Diana. And why Diana was the mightiest of the Amazons.

Hippolyta, who'd become the first Wonder Woman during World War II, had tried to block Diana from entering Man's World because of the volatility of her semi-divine nature. Diana inherited Hades' best traits as well as some of his worst. A volcanic temper, a tendency to brood and carry a long standing grudge, as well as a raging libido ranked foremost amongst the latter.

Diana had briefly reappeared in Man's World to brief the JLU's hierarchy about her newly revealed status. And to reiterate that nothing short of the end of the world would bring Diana out of retirement. But that wasn't to say a Wonder Woman wouldn't emerge from Themiscyra.

Almerac's monitoring devices had tapped into the JLU's computers on occasion to upload all the current case files and status reports. It still did so for the Justice Leagues that utilized computers. Only three systems on Earth were immune to its observations. Roxy, Brother Eye, and the Bat Computer. But Almerac had indirect means of observing those AIs and networks.

But Kalea's immediate problem was Ultraman. She watched him staring at her as she alighted at the end of the clearing and she could practically feel her skin vibrate from his X-Ray vision. He sighed in relief.

"You're a cyborg," he thought her mystery was solved. Her cybernetics obviously gave her her great strength.

Kalea proved him wrong with a burst of super speed and a left cross that nearly toppled him. Ultraman spat blood as he staggered back, "Wha…What? That's impossible."

"My bionics are the most powerful the Techno-Organic Union could produce and yet they're barely as strong or fast as my actual flesh is or what my real legs would have been like," Kalea confused him further, "I won't even go into the eye thing."

"But that doesn't… _ugh_!" Ultraman was stopped by a kick to his head.

She followed that up with a series of punches and knee strikes. Ultraman was being severely abused when he shoved her away so hard she skidded twenty feet and toppled a tree. Ultraman suddenly snapped his fingers.

"I get it now," he rejoiced, "Kalea- _El_ , you're Kryptonian."

Kalea rather enjoyed bursting his particular bubble, "Not quite."

She decided to end his misery. She raced to him and gripped the back of his head with her hands and bent him over. Knee strike after successive knee strike pummeled his face and head. As he slowly went limp and passed out, Kalea considered severing his head from his body.

But she was on her father's adopted world. Eventually he'd come to his senses once again and frown upon her actions. And she had just started down the road to establishing a real relationship with him. So she left Ultraman alive and unconscious.

* * *

"Clark, remember who I am and what they plan for our daughter," Diana pleaded.

" _My_ daughter," Superman growled back, "You stole her."

"I took our daughter here where she could be raised to deal with her unique heritage," Diana reasoned with him.

"You lie!" Superman raged as he crossed the temple courtyard, "You've always lied."

Diana flipped him onto his back as he reached for her, "I never lied, Clark. Alexandra just changed my priorities. Something having two different daughters never did for you."

"You still left," Superman spat at her.

"Which I have explained why on several occasions," Diana was weary of the debate, "But once again, you simply refuse to listen."

Superman's blows were designed to incapacitate if not kill outright. Diana's Amazon training and semi-divine nature shielded her from the worst of it. But Clark had been getting training from someone. And it definitely wasn't her. The style and techniques had an Apokoliptan flavor to them. So it had to be Big Barda.

Barda was proving to be a far more effective teacher than Diana ever had. Superman wasn't just bulldozing his way through a fight. His strikes were well aimed and pinpoint accurate to inflict the greatest damage. Diana hated to admit it but it was like fighting Kalea.

Superman's eyes began to glow red and Diana realized Clark intended to kill her. Kalea knocked Superman's aim off with a right cross that sent him sprawling. Kalea gave her an exasperated look.

"Just don't stand there! Rope him!" she demanded.

The Lasso of Truth wrapped around Superman and he struggled but was stifled because he was under Diana's influence. She explained her limitations to Kalea, "I can't direct him to do anything but tell the truth."

"But it's like a psychic circuit breaker," Kalea reasoned, "He can't struggle beyond a minimal point between answering questions. And we desperately need information."

Diana was surprised. Kalea was sounding like a military officer rather than a petulant child. Clark had said Kalea had drastically changed after her exile on Argo. Perhaps it wasn't just his well meaning fantasy after all.

"Good point," Diana conceded.

"I know they're here to capture Alexandra but why is he serving them?" Kalea wondered. She waited and then prompted Diana, "Well? Ask him?"

Diana did so and Clark merely replied, "I must serve my Queen."

A dozen variations of the question yielded the exact same answer every time. Diana was ready to punch him to see of that would shake anything loose, "This is pointless."

"No, it's a post-hypnotic suggestion. He has to do whatever his queen commands. I'm assuming the redhead battling Deathstroke and Nyssa al Ghul is the 'queen'," Kalea surmised.

"But she's a friend," Diana protested.

"She looks _very_ friendly," Kalea snorted.

"Her name is Tessa Richardson. She's married to the Shining Knight," Diana argued.

"Don't you people ever run out of ridiculous names to call yourselves?" Kalea was incredulous.

"What would turn her against her friends?" Diana wondered.

"You have the rope. Ask her," Kalea urged.

"But…" Diana eyed Superman.

"I have him," Kalea promised, "Just exit as soon as you free him."

Kalea got behind her father, "Do it!"

Diana unbound him and flew away as fast as she could. Kalea slapped a chokehold on Superman. He could hold his breath for hours so she cut off the arteries in his neck instead. Even a Kryptonian needed fresh blood supplied to the brain to provide the miniscule amounts of oxygen it needed to function. Superman struggled but Kalea won the day.

As he sagged to the ground, she gently touched his shoulder, "You'll forgive me some day."

* * *

Deathstroke and Nyssa intercepted the LSV Founder before they reached the Amazon detachment sent to destroy them. As much respect as they each had for the Amazon unit led by Hestia, they also realized they were far better equipped to stop the trio.

Lightning Lord found he couldn't manage to strike either of his targets. Saturn Queen was harassed so thoroughly she couldn't use her mental powers. And Cosmic King finally managed to strike the first blow by combining the hydrogen and oxygen in Nyssa's lungs into water.

She desperately coughed out the water and was helpless while she did so. Cosmic King smiled triumphantly at Deathstroke, "Surrender or I'll kill her."

"Go ahead," Deathstroke replied callously, "Don't let me stop you."

"He's serious," Saturn Queen was slightly alarmed. A golden lasso roped around her.

"Release her!" Lightning Lord demanded as he began building up a charge that would kill everyone within line of sight distance.

Diana simply scowled, "You'll have to kill your own companions with me to make me do so."

Cosmic King looked around, "Mekt! The Amazons! They're gone."

"So that's your ploy," Lightning Lord approved, "Find them. I'll send this bitch to hell."

"I'll simply say 'hello' to my father and come back to kill you," Diana promised.

* * *

"What'cha got there, old man?" Atomica taunted David Cain.

"You just make my bones ache all over," Cain sighed, "So I guess it's only fair to return the favor."

"With that weirdo pop gun?" Atomica smirked as Cain took aim, "There's nowhere for bullets or energy to come out from."

Cain pulled the trigger and the sonic reverb gun fired. Atomica was knocked off of her feet. She found her ears were ringing and her nose bled profusely as her teeth still rattled, "What the hell?"

"This is a little countermeasure custom built for people just like you and the Atom," Cain spoke loud enough that Atomica could still hear him, "You see, in this encounter you didn't choose me as an opponent. I chose you. Care to test out why some more?"

Atomica flipped him off as she shrunk. Cain adjusted his aim and fired again. Atomica rapidly grew back to her natural stature and was shaken too the core. The bleeding had intensified by now.

"There's no escaping sound at any size," Cain warned her.

Atomica broke and ran through the woods. Cain bowled her over with a third shot. In a panic, Atomica scraped herself off of the ground and headed for the clearing beyond the tree line.

She immediately tried shrinking again to set up an ambush but Cain just swept the area while firing the reverb gun. Atomica unsteadily returned to her normal size. She backed up against the sea wall.

"St…stay back," she stammered.

Cain kept the rifle trained on her. She backed over the cliff edge and screamed as she fell. But when he got to the edge where she'd fallen, he couldn't see her body in the surf or the rocks below. And he couldn't fire away at the cliff because it would cause a landslide.

So he decided to wait for Atomica to make her play. Because she'd certainly be coming back.

* * *

White Canary was singlehandedly tearing Wingman and Blue Beetle apart. She focused most of her efforts on Wingman because she felt he was the greater threat. But by discounting Blue Beetle, she ignored his brief tenure as a superhero before he retired only to be brought back into the game by Booster Gold to join the Justice League International.

So she dangerously wrote him off and didn't expect him to utilize his strobe gun to blind her. White Canary heard branches snapping and when her vision cleared, she realized Blue Beetle had led Wingman off into the forest. She decided she'd enjoy the chase.

* * *

Major Disaster didn't waste time of Seraph. He broke an aquifer beneath the Israeli hero and created instant quicksand. As Seraph was mired down, Major Disaster went to help Big Sir against Superwoman.

* * *

"You hit me," Big Sir sulked.

"And I'll do it again," Superwoman smacked his jaw with her fist again.

"Hey lady! Pick on someone your own size!" Major Disaster challenged her.

"You traitor! I'll kill you and feed your entrails to… _ungh_!" Superwoman began to vow before Big Sir intervened.

"No!" Big Sir's right cross almost tore Superwoman's jaw and head off.

"Is she okay?" Big Sir was alarmed by how still Superwoman was, "Did I hurt her? I didn't mean to hurt her."

"It's okay, Big Guy," Major Disaster patted Big Sir's shoulder, "She's just taking a nap."

"Oh goodie!" Big Sir was relieved and happy again, "Big Sir would like to take a nap too. After he goes baffroom."

Major Disaster rolled his eyes, "There's a whole forest. Just pick a tree."

"O-kay," Big Sir lumbered off into the woods.

Major Disaster just hoped he could find his way back.

* * *

Wrath systematically broke Dark Ranger down. He wasn't Batman but Wrath figured that killing a former member of Batman, Inc. would send the Dark Knight a message. Both Dark Ranger and Wrath were hunters. But Wrath also killed for sport. And he intended to enjoy Dark Ranger's demise.

* * *

Black Vulcan stunned White Lightning with an electrical bolt before she could utter a word. So he decided to check on Apache Chief's progress. He found the Native American Super Friend battling Aresia. Apache Chief's density altering tricks had run their course and Aresia had mapped out his hand to hand skills and seriously threatened Apache Chief.

Black Vulcan was amazed at the sheer amount of raw voltage it took to knock the rogue Amazon out. Apache Chief joined Black Vulcan in assisting Samurai. Syonide and Samurai were locked in combat.

Black Vulcan tried to jolt Syonide but she wore insulated clothing because her primary weapon was an electro whip. So Apache Chief did the honors of knocking her out with a super dense punch.

* * *

Power Ring couldn't get a bead on Lady Flash. Christina had imbibed some Velocity 9 before flying out to Themiscyra so her powers were at their highest peak. Power Ring finally used the Ring of Volthoom to emit an omnidirectional pulse that bowled Lady Flash over and pinned her under a series of falling trees. While the Russian dug her way free, Power Ring sought an exit.

* * *

Blacksmith transmuted Mr. Miracle into organic steel as soon as he neared her. But she could feel his will continue to fight hers. So she finished the job by doing what she rarely did. She transformed his entire body into a steel statue. Thereby ending Scott Free's life.

* * *

Girder fought the Martian Manhunter. But J'onn Jonzz was just as strong as Girder physically. And his telepathic attacks were nearly crippling Girder. So when Black smith intervened by trying to change J'onn into an organic steel slave, she hadn't taken into account just how different Martian physiology was from humans. But he retreated while screaming from the pain from the attempt.

* * *

Magenta was at a disadvantage because of the scarcity of metal objects for her to use her magnetic powers on. Supposedly the Unified Energy Field stated that she could use her magnetism to control electricity and other energies but frankly Fran Kane didn't knows how to. But her magnetic powers sensed Mr. Miracle's metal body standing nearby.

So Magenta grabbed hold of him and used him to club Fire and Ice unconscious. Then as she studied Mr. Miracle, Magenta wondered just who Blacksmith had condemned. Then she wondered if it really mattered.

* * *

Atom was all over Murmur. Literally and figuratively, driving the lunatic further insane. But when Blacksmith brought Girder and Magenta with her into the clearing, Atom made a decision. He shrank out of sight.

* * *

Silver Sorceress spared a moment to prepare her spell. And then a spatial rift sucked Starman into outer space. But she knew Gavyn could survive in a vacuum, so she didn't feel bad.

* * *

Reverb kept rattling Blue Jay's teeth. So he used an ability he hadn't employed since coming to Earth from Angor. He shrank down to the size of a literal bird. But Reverb was relentless.

Finally a portal opened beneath Reverb and swallowed him. Blue Jay returned to his human size, "Okay, where did you send him?"

"Home to Detroit," Silver Sorceress smirked, "He should send us a post card thanking me."

"Maybe he will if his head ever clears up," Blue Jay mused.

"Speaking of which…" Silver Sorceress looked distracted.

* * *

Joker's Daughter tried time and again to hit Nightrunner with her oversized mallet. He always found someplace else to be. So she pulled out a party streamer and blew on it in his direction.

The end exploded and a dart fired into Nightrunner's chest. After he convulsed for several minutes, he collapsed Joker's Daughter's unhinged laughter filtered through the trees.

"Oh dear, I seem to have lost the antidote!" she cackled.

* * *

Hood had picked up a sturdy branch to counter Enigma's question mark crested staff. They fought for several minutes before Enigma got the opening she'd been waiting for. Thrusting the question mark into Hood's ribs, she electrocuted him with the staff.

* * *

Sun Girl and Rising Sun seemed locked in a tidal battle. Inertia was battering away at Dr. Light. But Kimiyo Hoshi was afraid to cut loose for fear of striking down Rising Sun. Finally, Dr. Light got desperate enough to volley photon charges at Inertia.

He simply relocated and snatched up Sun Girl in a bridal carry while Dr. Light's energy knocked her lover out. Then Inertia relocated Sun Girl near Dr. Light. She worked with Inertia in subduing Dr. Light.

"Now that's teamwork," Inertia raced up and bent Sun Girl over backwards while he kissed her.

* * *

Cinder started to boil Cascade away, causing the Indonesia woman to revert back to flesh and blood. Tundra had nearly been incinerated by Cinder. Cascade became water again to soothe Tundra's burns. Cinder let her go.

Then she fused Sandstorm into a glass sculpture. Turning to Cascade's liquid state body, Cinder gave her some advice, "Leave me and mine alone and I won't finish your friends off."

* * *

Cheshire struck down the Squire first with her poisoned fingernails. That act drove the Knight mad with rage and grief. His armor largely protected him but she eventually maneuvered into a position where she scratched his exposed cheek and jaw. He slowly succumbed to the poison and passed out.

Arsenal had nothing against Man-of-Bats and Raven Red personally but a job was a job. Using quarrels adapted from trick arrows from his Speedy days, Arsenal netted Man-of-Bats and then stunned Raven Red with an electro-bolt. Cheshire chose that moment to saunter up to Roy Harper.

"Am I supposed to feel bad that I won?" she asked.

"No, but I do anyway," Arsenal admitted.

* * *

Tasmanian Devil simply ignored Gunslinger's admonitions to stop where he was at. She'd rather have been damned than indiscriminately kill for Slade Wilson again, Pat Trayce shouldered her assault rifle and pulled her magnum revolver from her hip holster. She put a round into Tasmanian Devil's shoulder but it didn't do much more than slow him down. The subsequent leg wound reduced him to a crawl but the tenacious bastard wouldn't give up. But Gunslinger consoled herself with the ability to stay ahead of him.

* * *

Tattooed Man had known Maxi-Man was strong but he hadn't realized just how strong until Maxi-Man ripped apart a couple of dark essence tattoo manifestations. So Mark Richards unleashed everything inked into his body at Maxi-Man. He figured that would keep the JLer busy for a while.

* * *

Horus enjoyed his first uncontested victory as his last blow felled the Olympian. Then he wondered what he was supposed to do next. He decided to go airborne and figure out what else was going on.

* * *

Deathstroke got Nyssa safely away while Lightning Lord and Cosmic King were distracted by Diana's having captured Saturn Queen. And the Kalea presented herself.

"You!" Lightning Lord spat.

"I suppose I can thank you for Lobo's unwanted advances," Kalea's eyes narrowed.

"I should have paid him more," Lightning Lord grated, "Maybe he wasn't properly motivated."

"He was motivated to kill my friend and her crew," Kalea was dangerously close to coming unhinged. Diana knew what that looked like from direct personal experience.

Lightning Lord unleashed the full brunt of his power on Kalea. She was shaken but unharmed. Cosmic King transformed nearby stones into kryptonite. Kalea gave him a scornful rebuke.

"Painful but nowhere near what you'll be feeling," Kalea used her cybernetic right arm to grab a hold of Lightning Lord and throw him into Cosmic King, "Now's your distraction, Princess."

"Why did you turn against us?" Diana asked Saturn Queen.

"I was never for you. How could I turn against you?" Saturn Queen wondered.

"What is your name?" Diana was growing irritated.

"Eve Aries," Saturn Queen answered, "But when I first met you I thought I was Tessa Richardson. Then I rediscovered my true name and memories."

"What?" Diana was confused.

"Mental imprinting," Kalea explained, "Someone wanted Eve Aries to go away so they made her think she was Tessa Richardson. Only the imprinting didn't take or was broken somehow and she reverted back into being her true self."

"That's right. So give Saturn Queen back to us and we'll let your mother and daughter live," Lightning Lord threatened. Cosmic King had hold of Hippolyta who still held Alexandra.

"Where are my Amazon sisters?" Diana demanded to know.

"And Deathstroke and Nyssa al Ghul?" Kalea added.

"Recovering from exposure to chlorine gas," Cosmic King boasted, "Most of them will survive."

Diana looked ready to fight. Kalea advised her, "Remember Alexandra in this."

Diana released Saturn Queen. Eve Aries looked into Diana's mind and she clutched her head and sank to her knees. Saturn Queen chuckled.

"Now that we have an understanding," Saturn Queen gloated.

"I suggest you honor your bargain," Kalea threatened the trio.

Eve Aries' eyes narrowed, "You'd best let them go. I can't read this one but I've seen what she a can do. She's everything the legends make her out to be and more."

Cosmic Queen released Hippolyta and the queen marched past the LSV trio to kneel next to her own daughter. Saturn Queen touched a control imbedded in her glove and the trio vanished with blue flashes for each of them. As was true of everyone they'd brought with them.

"Those were International Security Agency tell tales. They're using the United Nation's own police arm to teleport around the world," Diana was even angrier now that she had her only daughter in her arms. She turned to Kalea, "Thank you for helping secure Alexandra's safety."

"She's my half-sister," Kalea acknowledged, "That means something to me now."

"Then you understand my paramount concern for her safety," Diana stated, "And why I'm ordering you to collect your people and leave this island within the next hour or I'll have you all executed."

Kalea didn't appreciate the tone but she could understand the intent, "Very well. But if I could, can I have a moment of your time, Queen Hippolyta?"

Diana's eyes flashed an angry warning to her mother. But Hippolyta was gracious about it, "Let me dispatch Amazon scouts to locate and escort your force back to your plane and I'll grant you a ten minute audience."

"I'm grateful," Kalea admitted, "I won't take up too much of your time."

Diana snorted and Kalea amended, "May it be a private audience, please?"

Hippolyta actually smiled, "I see your point."


	19. Chapter 19

33

"Courtney, do you love me?" Captain Marvel asked her as he sat down on a rock beside the one she was seated on.

Frankly, Stargirl was still queasy from the fried lizards. She was channeling stellar energy through her Cosmic Convertor Belt into her gloves and expending it as energy stars. She was doing it to superheat the rock pile Captain Marvel had assembled in the center of the ruined fort.

"You know I do, Billy," Stargirl said with utter sincerity, "But I wish you'd stop being such a turd and become mortal again."

"No, I really need to know. Do you love me?" Captain Marvel was more insistent this time.

"What is this all about?" Stargirl was getting frustrated.

Wherever Billy's insecurity delved from it was annoying. Achilles bequeathed supernatural courage and confidence to the Marvels. Even Mary. So what was the deal?

"Dude, you're as tough as Superman," Stargirl razzed him, "Why are you so jittery all of a sudden?"

Of course, Mary was literally four times stronger than Captain Marvel now. And could theoretically hand Superman his ass wiped cape. But was Billy actually knee knocking because of his own sister?

"If you love me, prove it," Captain Marvel suddenly insisted.

Courtney instantly didn't like where this seemed to be leading, "Why? Why should I do what I think you're asking me to do?"

"I don't have much time left. Just until tomorrow's nightfall," Captain Marvel said urgently, "You have to have sex with me."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Stargirl snapped.

"A chance to escape this hell forever," Captain Marvel's eyes gleamed and Courtney thought he looked demented, "Shazam told me a way to escape but it involves you and I sharing our love for each other."

Later, Courtney would realize Captain Marvel didn't summon any lightning when he spoke Shazam's name, "O-kay, what does this involve? Exactly?"

"First, you have to be in love with me," Captain Marvel shared.

"Which I am, or at least I was, until now you idiot," Stargirl was getting more irritable.

"Then you have to give your body to me," Captain Marvel revealed.

"How?" Stargirl definitely didn't like where this was leading.

"You know how," Captain Marvel's darkly intoned.

"We had this discussion. I won't have sex with you until I'm eighteen or older and sure that we're gonna last," Stargirl reminded him, "That's just one year away, ass wipe."

"I can't wait a year," Captain Marvel snapped, "My chance of escaping won't come around again for hundred more years if I miss this deadline."

"What happened to 'us' escaping, Billy?" Stargirl ripped him.

"Of course I meant 'us'," Captain Marvel breezily replied.

"I don't think you did," Stargirl angrily realized.

"Courtney, I need to make love to a woman touched by cosmic forces in order to permanently leave the Subtle Realms," Captain Marvel said in a menacing voice, "You're going to help me with that."

"Or you'll rape me?" Stargirl was angered beyond words.

"The ceremony isn't specific on that point so I'm willing to do whatever needs to be done," Captain Marvel told her.

He moved towards her and Stargirl bolted away from him and stretched out her hand. The Cosmic Rod flew into it and she blasted him as he lunged for her. Captain Marvel's veneer was stripped away to reveal Johnny Sorrow.

He began tittering madly, "Well, I suppose this means the relationship is over."

"It's been you this whole time?" Stargirl was revolted.

"And they said you were the stupid one," Sorrow mocked her, "I hope you enjoy dying by demon tooth and claw. Because I've been holding their eager little selves back until now. But if I can't get any, then there's no reason to keep you alive anymore. The ceremony was explicit that I had to sacrifice you to the elder gods once I'd cum inside of you anyway."

Sorrow vanished without a trace. Stargirl yelled after him, "Where's Billy, you asshole?"

She heard the snarls outside and looked around to see red eyes glittering in the light of her white hot rocks. Stargirl blew the roof off of the fort and flew up into the air, "I'll find you, Billy. But first, I have to reunite everyone."

And she lit the Cosmic Rod like a shining beacon over the terrain.

* * *

Aztek still had aerial pursuers but he lost the ground troops when the light faded. He spotted a beacon in the distance and he altered course towards it. And suddenly found himself caught by impossibly strong arms.

Black Mary held him in her grip, "Calm down! We're here to help."

Aztek suddenly realized Anna Fortune floated beside Mary and she'd loaded a spell casing in her arm cannon. Mary released Aztek and he witnessed Anna firing the casing into the aerial demon horde. It erupted into flames and consumed the demonic ranks and fire swept across the sky and over the horizon.

"I thought you said you only had one more casing capable of decimating demons," Aztek pointed out.

"This hardly qualifies as decimating," Anna said primly, "The rear echelons are intact but they have something new to think about."

Shrieks responded to her statement and she shrugged, "Apparently they're persistent."

Anna slipped another casing in her cannon, "We'll need some distance from this one."

She fired as the demon ranks had just began visible in the gloom. This particular one created a voluminous electrical storm that killed the remainder. Anna chuckled to herself.

"I do believe your pursuers are quite dead now," she happily proclaimed.

"How many of those do you have left?" Aztek wondered.

"Those particular spell casings? None," Anna told him, "But I have other means at my disposal."

"How did you find me?" Aztek had to ask.

"We were tracking a Marvel aether trail and it turns out your armor appears to shine when viewed through my goggles," Anna happily told, "They really are far more wondrous then I was initially led to believe."

"She might leave Al for them," Mary quipped.

"Hardly," Anna replied drolly.

"You were tracking a Marvel?" Aztek warily eyed Mary, "Which one?"

"Does it truly matter?" Anna inquired as she slipped her goggles over her eyes, "But it appears that whoever it is is on the move and heading towards us."

"Great," Mary mumbled.

* * *

Captain Marvel Jr. managed to spot the firestorm in the distance and he bolted towards it. As he flew closer the electrical storm stopped in midair. As it cleared, the fading light revealed three figures in the distance. So he moved to join them.

He spotted Anna loading her arm cannon to use against his pursuers. The spell casing flew past him and detonated in the horde's midst. The concussive wave batted him across the sky while it tore the demons in the air and on the ground apart.

Mary stabilized the tumbling Junior. His face lit up upon seeing her, "Mare, it so great to see you again."

"We'll see," she said softly.

* * *

Sentinel had destroyed the vast demon armies. So he took a few minutes to catch his breath before using his power ring to scan the horizon in every direction. As luck seemed to have it, he detected a fellow All Star within range. So Sentinel set out to find out who it was.

* * *

When he landed beside Mr. Terrific, Michael Holt was still digging to try and find water. Sentinel recognized this particularly arid piece of wasteland could kill a human being in a very short time. He touched Mr. Terrific on the shoulder.

"Let me try," he requested.

Sentinel created a bore and drilled into the soil where Mr. Terrific had started his endeavor. As Mr. Terrific had postulated, Sentinel hit water. So he created a water pump equipped with a filter and brought water to the surface. Sentinel even constructed cups for him and Mr. Terrific to use.

Despite the earthy flavor and the warmth of the liquid, it seemed to them to be the best tasting water they'd ever greedily guzzled. Mr. Terrific even pulled out two collapsible canteens and filled them for later, "Thanks, Alan."

"I'm just glad I could help, Michael. Do you have any idea of what's over the horizon?" Sentinel asked.

"No, I don't have a clue," Mr. Terrific admitted.

Sentinel scanned the distance again and detected another All Star, "Seems we're in luck."

* * *

The desert wastes emptied into a frozen equivalent. Sentinel's ring led them to a cave network. Rat-like hounds were littered across the ground. Most had died of exposure but some also had obvious acid burns.

Sentinel sent a green pulsating probe into the cave and it led Metamorpho out, "Geez, guys. I can't tell ya how happy I am ta see the both of you."

Sentinel's ring suddenly created a hand that pointed off into the distance. First they saw Anna's firestorm swiftly followed by the electrical storm. Then they heard the explosive sound of the concussion wave.

"Care to check it out?" Sentinel looked amused.

"Hey, I'm so done with this cave," Metamorpho eagerly said.

"One way or another, those discharges lead to fellow All Stars," Mr. Terrific surmised.

* * *

"There! Sentinel is on his way to us," Anna slid her goggles up out of her eyes, "When he arrives and he brings whoever is with him, we can discuss our options more thoroughly."

"I say we head for that beacon," Aztek insisted.

"We need to find Billy," Junior did his own insisting.

"And Courtney," Mary wasn't to be left out.

"And we mustn't forget my darling Albert," Anna reminded the Marvels that they weren't the only ones with loved ones at stake.

* * *

Sentinel arrived with Mr. Terrific and Metamorpho being ferried in a gondola basket. Aztek and Anna were particularly grateful for the tastes of water that they received. Anna revealed some information she'd gleaned so far.

"The beacon is Stargirl's Cosmic Rod. Captain Marvel's aether trail is some distance from her position but not incredibly so," Anna shared.

"She has to be drawing a lot unwanted attention," Sentinel guessed.

"Then we can do something about it," Mary tugged at Junior and the darted off into the distance. Junior dutifully followed trying to keep pace with her. He had no idea she was dragging her metaphorical heels to let him even stay within sight of her.

"Are you sure it's wise to let her hare off like that?" Sentinel inquired.

"Mary and I have discussed her inclusion in the ranks of the Black Marvels at length," Anna confided, "I would trust her with my very life."

"Black Mary, huh?" Sentinel grunted.

"Indeed," Anna confirmed it.

"And what happens to her if Shazam revokes the Greco-Roman gifts from her?" Mr. Terrific asked.

"Then she truly will wholly be a Black Marvel," Anna told him, "Pursuant to everything that implies."

Both the Justice League Unlimited and the Justice Society had enjoyed turbulent relationships with Black Adam. And Isis devotedly backed up her husband every inch of the way. Adding Black Mary to the mix seemed destined for trouble to arise eventually.

"Shazam may have been more inclined to revoke Mary's endowments if not for the fact that others are beseeching the gods to bestow their gifts upon mortals and for those petitioners to act as conduits for the power relayed," Anna divulged.

"Who else has the power to create a Marvel?" Aztek got worried now.

"There are many beings with the capacity to act as a transfer point between gods and mortals," Anna confessed, "The rarer question is, who would defy a Lord of Order to do so?"

"Has this been happening?" Sentinel wanted to know.

"On occasion," Anna shared, "Adrianna Tomaz's own brother was approached and given power first by the god Anubis and then by the god Horus. But the Egyptian pantheon isn't alone. Many pantheons have joined in the effort to create champions to exert their will upon the mortal plane once again."

"Who is doing this?" Mr. Terrific pinned Anna down.

"The chief conspirators Satanus and Blaze," Anna revealed.

"Sounds like a metal band," Metamorpho commented.

"They are, in fact, Shazam's half demon children," Anna informed them.

"You weren't going to share this anytime soon, were you?" Mr. Terrific asked.

"The Lords of Order, and Shazam in particular, consider the matter an…embarrassment," Anna reported, "I was asked to keep things confidential."

"You were ordered to shut up," Sentinel clarified.

"Unless the knowledge was vital to a case," Anna told them, "And vitality was left open to interpretation."

"And when they come down on you?" Sentinel asked.

"I have to answer to my own conscience first and the Lords of Order second," Anna declared, "They profess to uphold that principle but the practice is something else entirely."

"If I had a hat, I'd tip it to you," Aztek admitted.

"Shall we get underway?" Anna asked.

And the group headed straight for Stargirl.

* * *

Stargirl kept the Cosmic Rod lit up while she used her Cosmic Convertor Belt to defend herself from preying demons. Then Black Mary and Captain Marvel Jr. arrived and began tearing apart demons at super speed. Stargirl was elated.

"Wow! Talk about timing!" Courtney exclaimed.

"Junior! Follow my lead!" Mary commanded, "Shazam!"

Mary gathered the lightning as it descended and the bolt emblem on her chest began to glow. Then it expended the lightning into her hands and she redirected it at a living wall of demons. They were struck down in a wave.

Junior and Stargirl gaped. Mary grew impatient, "Well?"

Junior tried it out and he could manipulate the mystical lightning to a far lesser degree. Mary took stock of the situation, "Back to back and form a triangle!"

They did so and found themselves in a far greater defensible position. Junior had to ask, "How do you know all this stuff?"

"I get directions and wisdom from two pantheons now," Black Mary reminded him, "I have a lot more options presented to me than ever before."

"So is anyone else coming?" Stargirl wanted to know.

"Wait for it," Mary counseled her friend, "And where's Billy?"

Courtney already hated this conversation.

* * *

Jesse Quick gutted the remaining dozen rat-hounds being ridden by demons. After she eviscerated six riders, the others turned and fled back the way they'd come up the canyon. Which sent them headlong into Hourman and Judomaster.

When all of the demonic forces were dead, Jesse collapsed into Hourman's arms, "Thank God you're here, Rick."

"I believe Stargirl is summoning us to her position," Judomaster observed.

"What makes you say that?" Hourman asked before spotting the beacon of light blazing over the plains the canyon emptied into, "Oh."

"Clever girl," Jesse admired Courtney's innovation.

"You fit to travel?" Hourman asked his wife.

"I'll be taking a break from super speed for a few," Jesse admitted. Despite the vocal formula her dad had taught her, and he'd derived from a physicist, Jesse accessed the Speed Force with it but she could still feel fatigue.

"Sonia?" Hourman asked Judomaster.

"I am only waiting for the pair of you," Judomaster quipped.

"Did she just lip off at us?" Jesse asked Rick as Judomaster took the lead.

"Yeah, it seems demons bring out her sarcastic nature," Hourman shared with her.

"At least she won't just be sitting by watching everyone and whispering to Commander Steel all the time," Jesse hoped.

"We'll see," Hourman cautioned Jesse.

* * *

Jay Garrick was well rested and fed when Stargirl lit her beacon off in the vast distance. Flash propped his saucepan helmet on his head and streaked off over the horizon to meet up with any and all Stargirl gathered through her effort. What he spotted as he covered the distance between was that the demons were as riled up by the light as any All Star.

* * *

Atom Smasher strode across the plains and met up with Stargirl, Black Mary, and Junior, "Hiya, Court."

"`Lo Al, Commander Steel," Stargirl waved in reply, "Care to lend a hand?"

"I'll drop to the ground and deep the demons from swarming you," Commander Steel offered Atom Smasher. And he fell feet first from Al's shoulder to the demon infested grounds.

Commander Steel fought with his fists for a time then be began stripping weapons off of defeated enemies and began hacking away at his foes. Atom Smasher chuckled, "Hank doesn't realize Anna armored up my boots. Those demons couldn't hurt me anyway."

"But they could climb your legs and hit something that wasn't armored," Mary countered.

Atom Smasher gulped while Stargirl began to smirk, "Speaking of whom."

Atom Smasher turned his head to spot Anna's approach, "Anna!"

She flew to his enlarged masked nose and kissed it, "My darling Albert, how I've missed you!"

"Any sign of Jay?" Sentinel asked the group.

"You need but ask," Anna pointed at the near space approaching them. Flash ran straight into the demon ranks and began disemboweling them.

Sentinel lowered Mr. Terrific and Metamorpho to the ground. Aztek took up the fight beside them. Commander Steel edged near them.

"Any sign of Judomaster?" he inquired.

Sentinel flew off and returned several minutes later with Judomaster, Hourman, and Jesse Quick. Sentinel dropped them off at Commander Steel's feet. Nearly everyone was stunned into bafflement by Judomaster's enthusiastic greeting for Commander Steel.

The woman had barely held hands with him days ago and now she hungrily kissed him like they were seasoned lovers. Hourman leaned into Jesse, "I thought no one could touch her."

"Obviously no one can unless she wants them to," she replied, "And she definitely wants him to."

* * *

"It seems your friends have reunited, Sand," Johnny Sorrow mocked him while he was still trapped inside the hourglass.

"Let me out and I'll show you a good time," Sand promised.

"Oh, not so soon, Sandy Hawkins. I'm saving you for the _tour de force_ ," Sorrow chuckled, "or do you forget I was a marquee idol?"

"You were a silent film star that couldn't act well enough to do talkies. So you turned to crime. You ripped off the homes of those movie stars that adjusted and still made fortunes," Sand sneered, "No one even watches your films anymore."

"You'd best be grateful I still have a use for you," Sorrow stormed out of the chamber.

Sand sighed. It seemed he wouldn't be provoking Sorrow into freeing him just yet.

* * *

"Sorrow! I'll kill you when I get free!" Captain Marvel yelled at Johnny. A window to the outer world floated before Captain Marvel and his chains. It focused entirely on Stargirl. He'd seen every one of Sorrow's ploys that he'd used on Courtney. It was no wonder Mary hated him so much.

"I'm afraid you won't, my good Captain," Sorrow chuckled malevolently, "But hold onto your hate. It will serve you well."

* * *

Black Canary and Speedy had escorted Mercy Graves and Trajectory from LexCorp-Metropolis to the Hall of Justice. Amanda Waller wanted to include Trajectory in the Justice League of America. After the disaster in Metropolis against the Legion of Doom, LexCorp was disbanding Infinity, Inc. and reincorporating its members into specialized security officers to protect LexCorp's assets from conventional threats. Matrix still hadn't been seen or tracked down.

But ARGUS was offering to buy out Trajectory's LexCorp contract and fund further developments with the Everyman Project. ARGUS would control sole rights to any and all research into activating gen factors and first choice at hiring project results. Mercy was also present to report on Claire Connelly's progress.

Waller met with Eliza Harmon first and Trajectory was very excited to be included in the JLA's rolls. She quickly sped through the required paperwork, which was still contingent on Mercy's signing off on LexCorp's share of Eliza's contract. But Waller was certain Mercy would do just that. LexCorp's fiscal year bottom line stood much to be gained by agreeing to ARGUS' terms.

"Thank you for meeting with me personally, Ms. Graves," Waller said from across her desk.

"It's just Mercy," she replied.

"Then you may call me Amanda," Waller conceded, "I'm pleased ARGUS can go into partnership with LexCorp's Everyman Project platform and that you're willing to relinquish contractual obligations so that Trajectory can join our team."

"As long as you're fully aware of Trajectory's ongoing status," Mercy clarified.

"Yes, your primer said she's permanently hyper-accelerated," Waller reviewed the data in front of her, "She can't even slow down to eat or sleep."

"But our pharmaceutical division created a metabolic regulator that places her power back under her own willful control," Mercy explained, "She needs upkeep doses of the oral agent every twenty-four hours. Sooner if she's used her speed for several hours running. Pardon the pun."

"How would she react to being dosed by Velocity 9?" Waller asked.

Mercy went very still, "It would unquestionably accelerate her to the point it would kill her despite her connection to the Speed Force. Why?"

"One of our current allies in this crisis took over Vandal Savage's a manufacturing and distribution of Velocity 9," Waller told her, "She uses it to control a member of the Russian Blue Trinity team. So long as Nyssa al Ghul controls the supply of Velocity 9 so too will Col. Molotova serve her."

"And you're afraid Trajectory could be exposed to Velocity 9?" Mercy wondered.

"So long as a supply of Velocity 9 exists I'm afraid anyone could be exposed to it," Waller narrowed it down, "Speedsters are generally targeted because of the drugs addictive function and they're seen as being immune to the adverse health effects of the drug. Which Ivanka Christina Borodin Molotova is a shining example of both aspects."

"Eliza's contract buyout figures reimburse us for her meta-gene screenings, her gen factor activation, the metabolic stabilization and a reimbursement for the services she won't be providing any further," Mercy read off the summary of the contract proposal, "You're also contracting LexCorp to manufacture and supply you with Trajectory's stabilization medication. All in all, an equitable and comprehensive package. I'm ready to sign whenever you are."

"First, I need an update on Dr. Connelly's project," Waller deferred the topic at hand.

"We've retooled much of our development fabricators and Dr. Connelly is overseeing the construction of a weaponized temporal dislocator," Mercy explained, "After we confirm its viability, Claire will want to debug the system to ensure the sanctity of whatever life we use this weapon on."

"Weapons frequently kill, Ms. Graves. As soon as Dr. Connelly can confirm she can push the Legionnaires out of our time and into another century, I want her mobilizing the weapon so we can deploy it. Understood?" Waller asked in a sharp tone.

"Dr. Connelly will fight that mandate," Mercy predicted.

"You're her employer, Ms. Graves. Make her see reason through any means necessary. I'll provide troops with itchy trigger fingers if necessary," Waller mandated, "I don't care if those three people survive their journey. I'd prefer they didn't."

Waller slid another contract proposal across the desk at Mercy, "This is a remuneration package for 'unspecified services'. Unspecifically I don't want the Legion to survive their trip through time."

Mercy blinked at the figure on the page. It was LexCorp's entire global research and development budget. If they were to add these monies to their existing budget they could push projects that risked tiring investors before ever yielding a sizeable marketable product or innovation. And it would secure LexCorp's place as _the_ innovative corporation for the world. She wondered is Lex Luthor had taken a similar step at the beginning of LexCorp's existence or if Luthor had just never given a damn about human wreckage.

"Ms. Graves?" Waller pushed.

"It seems I have two agreements to sign today," Mercy made her fateful decision.

"Excellent," Waller looked liked she'd swallowed the proverbial canary.

* * *

Maven found the JLA's own Black Canary conducting a tour of the Hall of Justice alongside Speedy. Trajectory ogled everything. Maven cleared her throat to interrupt.

"Congratulations, Ms. Harmon. You've just officially joined the Justice League of America," Maven announced. Trajectory beamed before Maven added, "Now I've been assigned to take you to the material fabricator and tailor."

"Excuse me?" Trajectory didn't quite understand that bit.

"She wants to make you a new costume," Speedy translated.

"I have one already," Trajectory protested.

"But LexCorp lacks imagination and it certainly doesn't know how to inspire others," Maven lectured her.

Trajectory still looked incensed. Speedy intervened, "I'll help you design one."

"I just don't see why we have to," Trajectory admitted.

"You have the powers of a Flash or a Jesse Quick," Maven pointed out, "Why not dress the part?"

"LexCorp was afraid of lawsuits," Trajectory revealed.

"ARGUS owns the courts," Maven replied, "So the JLA won't be facing copyright infringement suits."

Black Canary rolled her eyes at this point. Maven's comment about ARGUS and the courts was far more accurate than anyone wanted to admit. But at least it got Trajectory down the hall to the clothier equipment.

Speedy helped Trajectory design a very Wally West Flash-like costume. Maven favored a design she came up with which was closer to a pink and lavender Kid Flash costume. Dinah Lance suspected Maven only bothered to help push Trajectory towards the collaborative piece.

At Mia Deardon's behest, Eliza Harmon opted for leather. Flash had recently opted to go leather to cut down on the eventual wind shear breakdown of every one of his costumes. He was only getting to wear an outfit once or twice before he made the switch. Speedy's last suggestion was a red mask she handed to Trajectory.

"It's self adhesive. This container will keep it clean when you're not wearing it," Speedy explained her offer.

"Why this?" Trajectory objected.

"You probably still have surviving family and friends from before the Everyman Project," Speedy guessed, "If you go barefaced, your newfound enemies will find them and torture them to get leverage over you."

Trajectory carried her bundle to a changing room and came out…fully masked. She was elated, "This is so cool!"

"Now, we just have to find you quarters. Fortunately there's still room in the member wing because the guest quarters are pretty much filled up," Maven checked her residency log displayed on her tablet, "Of course, your quarters here could just be standby ones if you choose to live somewhere else and commute in."

"Commute?" Trajectory wondered about that.

"Via teleporter network. ARGUS can currently reach the entire continental United States. We should be out as far as Hawaii and Alaska within six months," Maven explained, "And your salary should be sufficient to live anywhere inside the US so long as you don't get too extravagant."

"Un-frickin'-believable! I really am in the Justice League!" Trajectory realized.

"Oh, you really have no idea of what you've gotten into yet," Speedy said sagely.

Trajectory didn't care. She was about to become a household name.

* * *

Batman led Lady Chronos out of the Hall of Doom's temporal ignition chamber. She was still shuddering over his description of how the Legion had held her to be used as a device. And she revealed why Luthor had resorted to such measures.

"He wanted me to join the Legion of Doom and I refused," Lady Chronos explained, "I was trying to contact the agency responsible for the Suicide Squad. I assumed they could use my talents the way they had Chronos'."

"Now you can do something about both states of being," Batman tersely informed her.

* * *

Green Lantern's power ring constructed a binding vise around John Lynch's hand so he couldn't willingly release his dead man's trigger stick. So John Stewart decided to kick Lynch's ass the old fashioned way. But he quickly learned why Lynch was a project director and not an actual scientist.

Lynch had been the first agent selected for Team 7. Although he rarely served in the field, Lynch was just as capable as every other soldier fielded by the ARGUS created team. John had to erect a barrier between himself and Lynch while he recouped.

Then Lynch simply vanished. John spun to find Batman escorting Lady Chronos into the area. John could sense a tremendous tug at his rapidly vanishing construct.

"It's all right, John," Batman assured him, "He's too far out of range to trigger anything now."

"Where is he?" John was still confused.

"Morocco," Lady Chronos smiled, "He should still be assessing his whereabouts and situation."

"This is Jai. She was the Legion's temporal asset," Batman explained.

They discovered each cell required an individual code. A single failure to input the proper access code would result in the cell being flooded with a nerve agent. Batman activated his computer accessed through his left forearm and unlocked each cell in succession.

Shayera Hol, Belphegor, and Owlwoman all exited their cells prepared to fight. John scooped up Shayera and they enjoyed a joyous moment. The sight of it only exacerbated Owlwoman's lingering pain.

Belphegor checked on Dr. Mist and used her mental abilities to probe what Saturn Queen had done to him. What she found was he'd shut his own mind down. She didn't have a clue as to how to summon him from his retreat.

Shayera edged John off to a private corner while Lady Chronos assisted Batman in disconnecting Captain Atom, "I wasn't sure you'd pull through, Lantern. I couldn't believe her mind powers worked on you in the first place."

"I was pretty shaken up by Power Ring when she first nabbed me. When I broke her hold, I was still too startled to defend myself when she simply put me in a mental prison," John shared, "But Saturn Queen can't hold me anymore. My will is restored and nothing and no one will ever do that to me again."

"What about Flash? Or J'onn? Or even Superman or Mr. Miracle?" Shayera wondered.

"Nightshade put the kid in someplace called the Night Force. Only Col. Trevor isn't talking about it. Apparently they stuffed Firestorm in there as well," John told her, "Batman knows about it but he hasn't ordered their release. So I don't know what the hell is going on."

The facility began to shake. Batman turned to John, "Encapsulate everyone in a force field!"

John did so and Lady Chronos time shifted them and they appeared twenty miles off the western coastline. They watched as the Hall of Doom lifted into the skies above. Batman could tell it was headed for an orbital insertion.

* * *

Inside the hall of Doom, Booster Gold and Goldstar had activated the emergency failsafe protocol. They'd been as surprised as anyone to learn it meant launching the site into space. They immediately set about contacting Saturn Queen, Cosmic King, and Lightning Lord.

* * *

"We need to check on the teams," Batman insisted.

Shayera and Owlwoman insisted on flying independently from John's power ring construct. Batman's suit was only capable of short distance flights so he remained encapsulated while Belphegor introduced herself to Lady Chronos. Captain Atom was still alive but fairly inert. Dr. Mist was catatonic on every perceivable level.

* * *

Col. Steve Trevor and Bat-Girl slowly thawed in the Florida winter sun. Starling was repositioning herself so she could blow Icicle's head clean off. So Icicle created an ice fort. He tried projecting ice daggers the way Killer Frost could but they always fell woefully short of his target. Today was no exception.

Starling rushed his position and spiked a charge into the ice wall. Then she retreated before Icicle could realize she'd been within his range. Hunkering down, she detonated the charge. The explosive concussion wave shattered the fort and sent Icicle sprawling. It also shattered the ice containing Bat-Girl.

Starling checked on her girlfriend before proceeding further. Bat-Girl managed to speak between chattering teeth, "I…I'm…f…fi…fine. Ju…just…g…go…g…get…him."

Starling removed her last spiked charge from her belt and came to the dazed Icicle. Flipping ice chunks off of him, she exposed his leg. Priming the charge, she drove it into his leg.

Icicle came up with a scream. Starling placed the barrel of her rifle into his mouth. Her other hand held the remote detonator, "Just shut up and listen. That charge is on a ten second delay. I can reset it to another ten second delay, like I've been doing so far, or you can freeze me and hope like hell you can distance yourself from it fast enough not to get your guts splattered all across this swamp."

As Starling pulled the barrel out of his mouth he started to reach for the explosive. Starling gently pushed him back with the rifle barrel applied to his forehead, "Ah, ah."

"What do you want?" Icicle angrily asked.

"Personally or professionally?" Starling asked in return.

"Let's start with professionally," Icicle replied.

"Your complete, total, and unconditional surrender," Starling answered.

"And personally?" Icicle wondered.

"I'd like to hang you by your ball sack from a hook," Starling grated.

"You don't get many second dates do you?" Icicle quipped. He studied the frozen Trevor and the shivering Bat-Girl, "Oh, I get it now. I take it you're the dom and she's your sub."

"Actually we're both dominant, wise ass," Starling snorted, "Keeps things spicy."

The Hall of Doom began to lift off. While Starling was distracted, Icicle froze her feet in place and froze the charge as he yanked it out of his leg. As he hobbled away and erected further ice barriers to slow Starling down from simply shooting him. He began to make his way where he could see Tigress fighting Katana.

* * *

Huntress blocked Shiv's blow by the wrist and then kicked her kneecap out of alignment. Huntress' subsequent right cross almost knocked the fight out of Shiv but Stargirl's sole arch-nemesis attacked again anyway. Huntress evaded Shiv's bladed arm strikes and instead ducked beneath them and stabbed the teenager in the leg with a dagger.

Spinning away from Shiv's counterattack, Huntress pulled her crossbow free and placed a quarrel into Shiv's side. The Dragon King's daughter was so frustrated she looked ready to cry.

Huntress' backspin kick put the teenager down for good. Then Huntress watched with amusement as the Hall of Doom lifted off the ground with a roar of firing rockets. She wondered if Q had seen that one coming.

* * *

Question couldn't hyperextend Ragdoll's joints but he could strike nerve clusters. After hitting both the deltoid clusters, Ragdoll's arms were dead at his side. Question could see he was contemplating escaping when Question hammered the nerve cluster located between Ragdoll's neck and shoulder. The triple jointed thief dropped like a dead weight.

The Hall of Doom lifted off. As the noise cleared up, Huntress approached him, "Just try and tell me you saw that coming, Q."

"Not precisely. But it did make sense that they would have an alternative means of escape should their temporal mechanism be removed or expired," Question replied.

"You think Batman would really kill the human being they used to time slide this fort around?" Huntress was beyond incredulous.

"Batman wasn't the only one in the base," Question reminded her.

* * *

Katana had disarmed Tigress on no less than three occasions. That included all six knives that Tigress carried, a whip, and a crossbow. Katana had allowed Tigress to partially rearm several times since then and Tigress knew it.

"Stop toying with me!" Tigress screamed.

Artemis Crock found herself disarmed again and with the SoulTaker drawing blood from her neck faster than Tigress had even been able to track. Katana simply asked, "Satisfied now?"

The Hall of Doom lifted and Katana didn't twitch. Tigress had to admit that alone was pretty damn impressive. The Katana spun away and Icicle froze his wife's chest.

"Oh shit! Babe, I'm sorry!" Icicle was embarrassed.

"Watch out for…!" Tigress never got to finish as Katana struck down Icicle with the pommel of her sword.

Katana placed the SoulTaker's tip in Tigress' throat, "It seems you have no escape."

Tigress could hear in offer in Katana's voice, "I'm listening."

As Tigress listened, she suddenly understood the real game she and Katana had been playing all along.

* * *

Animal Man had channeled the powers of a mole and tunneled his way through the soggy marshland. Coming out of the ground behind Geo-Mancer, he summoned the powers of a scorpion and stung Geo-Mancer with his fingers, not once but three times. The powerful venom overwhelmed Geo-Mancer. At that point, Animal Man wasn't particular regarding whether or not Geo-Mancer survived.

Plastic Man had transformed into a drilling machine and erupted out of the ground, carrying Crimson Fox behind him. Plas watched with amusement as Animal Man and Crimson Fox laid on the public displays of affection, "And a good time was had by all."

He also noted with wry detachment as they blissfully ignored the Hall of Doom's launch, "Now that's some infatuation."

* * *

Hawkman's constant spear thrusts finally bore fruit. Killer Wasp risked yanking the shaft out of Hawkman's hands. Which meant he was close enough for Carter Hall to unclip the mace from his belt and wallop Killer Wasp into the ground below. Hawkman descended and retrieved his spear after clipping the mace back on.

Killer Wasp tried to summon a bioelectric charge but Hawkman pierced his side with the spear. Then he smacked Killer Wasp across the face with it. Seeing Killer Wasp still struggling, Hawkman let the Nth metal discharge and stun Killer Wasp the way he'd wanted to disable Hawkman.

Then the Hall of Doom left the ground. Hawkman watched it rise with some interest and then decided he had better things to see. His eyes gazed out across the marsh, searching for Troia.

* * *

Troia did take some damage from Rival before she eventually roped his neck with her Lasso of Persuasion. Donna Troy breathed a sigh of relief as Rival came to a halt and started protesting, "I'll kill you for this!"

"Oh, knock yourself out," Donna flippantly replied.

Rival began beating himself at a thousand blows a minutes. Troia realized the lasso had translated her words as a command, "Stop!"

The bloodied Rival instantly obeyed. She finished him off with a single blow. Then she looked around and spotted Hawkman as he saluted her. She also spotted the bloody wound in Killer Wasp's side. She smiled as she shook her head.

The Hall of Doom was high in the sky now. Ri and Darknight were still unconscious and helpless. And Rival was still bound by her lasso. She decided to watch over the Chinese couple while she guarded Rival.

* * *

Regulus desperately covered his head with his arms as Black Adam rained down blow after blow. Regulus' vanity had dictated that his head, and the cybernetic interfaces controlling his armor, were exposed so everyone could admire him. Now he was paying for that approach.

This field test had proven the strengths and weaknesses of the design. When Black Adam was momentarily distracted by the Hall of Doom's exit, Regulus used his electromagnetic warping capability to almost immediately reposition himself on the other side e of the Earth. Black Adam was fast but he had no innate tracking ability. So Regulus used his warp capability a second time to relocate to Mexico and rally Basilisk from there.

* * *

Isis pulled Solomon Grundy out of the Hall of Doom as it prepared for launch. Then she got him to calm down after it had headed into space, "No one wants to hurt you, Grundy. Galatea is here with me. Would you like to talk to her?"

"Tea here?" Grundy sounded suspicious.

"Yes, if you wait here I can go get her," Isis offered, "But you have to wait here for me and Galatea."

"Grundy wait," he agreed, "Grundy want to talk to Tea."

"Good," Isis began searching for Power Girl.

* * *

Batwoman was staring at Shade's darkness bubble. Power Girl flew towards it, "Follow me in!"

Inside, Guy Gardner battled with animate shadows. Power Girl came beside him, "Stop fighting them."

"Are ya nuts?" Guy had to ask.

"Are they attacking me?" Power Girl pointed out, "They only have the power you give them. Shade made you believe they could harm you and that belief gives them the exact power to do that."

"It seems you learned a little too much about me in your tenure with the Legion of Doom, Galatea," Shade taunted her, "But you still can't find me."

"I don't have to," Power Girl replied.

"What? I… _agh_!" Shade's darkness vanished after his outcry. Batwoman stood over his unconscious body.

"Har, har, har!" Guy guffawed, "Ya set up an ambush while ya were helpin' me!"

"Probably the only reason why I'd help you, Gardner," Power Girl coldly told him.

Isis retrieved Power Girl before Guy could mouth off. Batwoman watched it all and suddenly knew there was a God. Then she groaned as Guy decided to talk to her.

"Where's yer pal with the pig stickers?" Guy asked.

"You mean Azrael?" Batwoman snidely asked for clarification.

"Yeah, the loony that thinks he's the savior of some lost tribe of monks, or somethin' like that," Guy retorted.

"I don't know. He vanished," Batwoman tersely replied, "Why don't you?"

"You'll get yers, toots," Guy promised.

"You ever wonder why you don't have any friends and why every Lantern Corps kicks you out?" Batwoman asked.

"I already know. It's `cause I'm there best there is and everyone's jealous," Guy proudly proclaimed.

"That's one way of looking at it," Batwoman agreed, "But if you ever want to hear the truth, ask me some time."

* * *

Gypsy managed to keep the Owl mercenaries at bay until the Hall of Doom launched. Then they broke ranks and retreated, summoning the transport helicopters holding off station twenty miles away. Gypsy gladly let them go.

* * *

Praxis relented as the mercs withdrew. He recomposed his physical body from the mental energy it had become. But he'd disabled a half dozen of them that could be held as prisoners.

* * *

The Little Mermaid wished the mercenaries a long and uneventful trip. But then Ulla had a sudden intuitive need to find Nightwing. She knew Dick was in trouble and cascading even deeper into it.

* * *

The few mercs still mobile after Black Bat's attack limped away to join the others in retreat. Black Bat was unfazed by the Hall's launch. Like Question remarked, it just seemed reasonable Luthor would have other means by which to escape.

* * *

Batwing was more than happy to watch the mercs run away. He was battered and bruised. But the eight bodies lying around him tallied up to quite a personal victory.

* * *

Mercenaries abandoned their weapons rather than continue fighting Godiva. Killer Frost saw none of them would be coming at Godiva's backside so she froze a few stragglers where they stood. She grinned at Godiva.

"So, arresting anyone?" she asked.

"No, this can be ARGUS' problem," Godiva sighed. Godiva was realizing how tired she really was and just how much Killer Frost had come through for her.

"Louise, what do you say we take an hour or two after we return to Brooklyn to just go get tea or coffee and just relax like average people?" Godiva asked.

"Are you asking me on a date, Dorcas?" Killer Frost's grin became incorrigible.

"At least a primer until we can do the town right," Godiva offered.

"I'm so taking you up on this," Killer Frost promised.

"Good, because the faster we mop up here the sooner we can go out," Godiva winked.

"Your blackmail technique knows no shame," Killer Frost smirked.

* * *

Goldilocks had dismantled the armored mech suits of a four man squad before the Hall of Doom lifted up. The operators retreated post haste. Goldilocks let them go. She was beginning to wonder if there was a point to her efforts after all.

* * *

Nightshade's troubles were eliminated when the four mecha squad sent after her departed to rendezvous with the helicopters that had delivered them. She slipped away into the Night Force and located the Flash and Firestorm. She decided she seriously needed to talk to Batman and Col. Trevor.

* * *

Black Orchid had submerged in the swamp water. The flamethrower units departed and Black Orchid surfaced again. The local alligators had left her alone because she wasn't a fish or mammal.

* * *

Silver Swan implemented diving attacks on the Basilisk armored troops. Her strength allowed her to destroy the white noise generators on the suits of armor. Then her swan song cut through the suits themselves. Piles of flesh and metal greeted Silver Swan when she landed.

* * *

Enchantress surveyed the line of mechas confronting her and laughed as she cast her first spell. Their impressive array of equipment transformed into gelatin. Finding themselves all wearing dessert, the Basilisk troopers fled before her. Enchantress felt a rush of pride.

* * *

Wildcat held his own against the three Owl squads but it was knuckles versus shields and armor. But they suddenly gave up and retreated. Then Wildcat heard before he spotted the Hall of Doom's departure.

* * *

Dr. Mid-Nite had never been so grateful for an opponent to get away. But he'd managed to disable half the squad so he'd collected two prisoners. Then he saw Wildcat's expression as he approached and knew Ted Grant felt the same way as he did.

* * *

Shining Knight bested his dozen foes and felt the rush of victory. But he hadn't yet encountered Tessa in any of these campaigns. His doubts as to how she'd receive him when he finally confronted her grew daily.

And then there was Goldilocks. Something deeply troubled her. And whatever gnawed at her grew in the pit of her stomach like a cancer. She was trying to hide it but he'd seen that look in the eyes of valiant knights who wondered why they should even go on any longer.

He decided to seek her out as the Hall of Doom vacated the area.

* * *

Dove mule kicked the closest gunman and then utilized an acrobatic display to disable the other three. Using a rifle like a club, she battered the four surrounding Hawk. Then the Owls retreated after the Hall of Doom left.

Dove stood vigil over the recuperating Hawk and he weakly said, "Thanks, Dove."

She thought it strange that neither Hank Hall nor Hawk would show vulnerability unless on he was the brink of death. She thought something needed to be done about that. And she was the only one he'd listen to.

* * *

Vibe blindly lashed out with his powers. And when he looked around, no one was anywhere near him. And he could see signs of dimensional shifting. He'd just pushed the Owl mercs into an alternate universe. Vibe though a long talk with Dr. Mid-Nite was in order. And maybe Col. Trevor and Sue Dibney of the JLA.

* * *

Cyclone and King Chimera were roused by the roar of the Hall of Doom's liftoff. Cyclone was confused, "What did we miss?"

"Everything," King Chimera pointed out the Owl and Basilisk forces in full retreat.

* * *

Together, Red Robin and Ravager disabled four mechs. Rose had two operators out of their suits and at sword point while Red Robin had yanked the other two out and had them on their knees. When one tried to bolt, Red Robin ruthlessly struck him down and then the other one as well.

Ravager chuckled, "You've been taking lessons from me."

"No, they're still breathing," Red Robin commented.

Ravager felt the burning sting of shame as she realized he was right. She was taking his cue and not the other way around. But she hadn't heard a rebuke in his voice. Just a hint of sadness. Which was even more condemning.

* * *

Superboy dismantled two of the mech suits with his tactile telekinesis. Then Wonder Girl tore a third apart with her hands while Superboy caught and dismantled a fleeing fourth. Together they rounded up the wearers and Wonder Girl stunned them with the Lasso of Thunder.

"Sorry `bout that. They really did knock me loopy," Superboy admitted.

"Hey, the ambush worked just as well," Wonder Girl admitted, "Kinda like John Wayne riding over the hill side."

"Who?" Superboy was confused.

"I'm sorry, Conner," Wonder Girl stated, "It's just so easy to forget you were born in a test tube."

"Yeah, they couldn't speed teach me everything," Superboy ruefully recollected, "But it makes for a lotta great 'first time evers'."

"You're right, it'll be fun introducing you to the rest of the world," Cassie Sandsmark decided.

* * *

Miss Martian displayed a lot more combat versatility and aggression than the Martian Manhunter. Basilisk was totally unprepared for M'gann M'orzz. They lost three armored suits before the fourth fled in terror. M'gann decided to let that one simply go.

* * *

Kid Flash stopped running and let the repulsor blow him several miles back. Then he sidestepped the beam and raced back before they could re-aim it at him. He disabled the repulsor and the light damper so Solstice was able to blast away at the Basilisk techs. The Kid Flash and Solstice reunited where Bart revealed to Kiran that some of the components looked like they'd come from the 31st Century. A thought that worried both of them.

* * *

Red Hood ended up expending every round of ordnance he had but he crippled the four mechas. And then he went hand to hand to disable the operators. Then he watched the show as the Hall of Doom lifted off.

* * *

Superboy disabled two of Fairchild's attackers while Wonder Girl dealt with a third. Left alone with one, Fairchild tore it to shreds in under a minute. The operator voided his bladder and bowels in the face of her wrath. Wonder Girl pulled Caitlin off of the Basilisk battle technician.

"You don't want to go there, Cat," Cassie advised her.

"Maybe I do," Caitlin argued.

"Red Robin won't look at you like he does Ravager if you do," Wonder Girl bluntly told Fairchild, "That's not why he's with her. I don't know why he bothers at all but that's not the reason why or he'd be Red Hood instead of Red Robin."

Fairchild almost shivered, "Okay. I get it."

"I hope so," Wonder Girl admitted.

* * *

Miss Martian assisted Bunker and Skitter. She ripped two of the mech operators out of their suits and Skitter stung them first and webbed them later. Bunker used the reprieve to smash the suits into debris. Skitter took care of the battered operators.

"Thanks, M'gann," Bunker told her.

"You're welcome," M'gann seemed distracted, "Somehow this seems more like a defeat."

Bunker wondered why their resident Martian would feel that way.

* * *

"Where's Nightwing?" Ulla was getting frantic now.

"I don't know, luv, but we'll find him," Godiva promised.

Killer Frost looked ready to comment but she opted not to. Praxis spoke up, "I sense Nightwing's presence on the astral plane. He is some distance from here at a point which I cannot fathom. But although he feels some internal distress, he left here willingly."

"But why?" Ulla couldn't understand that part.

* * *

"I suspect you know why I wish to speak to you," Kalea allowed.

"You wish for me to order Diana to return with you to Man's World," Hippolyta gathered.

"Close, I hope Wonder Woman will join us in our fight. That doesn't necessarily mean for Diana to rejoin us. I'd actually prefer if she didn't," Kalea shared.

"You two share little love for one another," Hippolyta observed.

"I committed heinous crimes against your daughter, Your Highness," Kalea freely admitted, "Crimes she's seen fit not to ever forgive. I can understand that. Almerac is a warrior culture. Trespasses are rarely forgiven. Yet we've learned to do so for the greater good should our nation or society requires it of us."

"I do not see the vile creature Diana described to me," Hippolyta admitted, "That is why I allowed for this audience."

"Thank you," Kalea bowed her head, "Now, if Her Majesty would consider my request?"

"I will give you my answer before you depart," Hippolyta promised.

"Which is in twenty-two Earth minutes," Kalea reminded her.

"Thank you, that will be all," Hippolyta seemed amused.

* * *

Hestia escorted Kalea back to the Invisible Jet. Lady Blackhawk was on the boarding ramp beside Nyssa al Ghul, Penny, and Deathstroke. LBH was the first to speak.

"So I take it we're leaving now," she opined.

"Not yet," Kalea cautioned her, "Hippolyta still has thirteen minutes to make her decision in."

"You don't really think Princess Diana will leave this island, do you?" Deathstroke wondered.

"No, I don't. And I haven't asked for her to," Kalea clarified.

"Great, so they might still just show up just to kill us," Deathstroke went up the ramp, "I'll let everyone know not to get too comfortable."

"I'll have Blackhawk start the preflight checklist," Lady Blackhawk offered.

"Your reputation does not disappoint," Nyssa congratulated Kalea, "You do seem fond of pushing envelopes."

"Wuh-oh!" Penny exclaimed, "That's a lotta women carryin' torches and spears."

"You may wish to assist in the checklists," Kalea suggested.

"This should prove…informative," Nyssa allowed.

Hestia led the honor guard. Hippolyta was in its center beside Diana. Diana held Alexandra close. But Diana was unarmed and no longer wore Hera's armor. Instead a striking redhead with a ponytail that dangled inches from the ground wore it and she was festooned with Greco-Roman arms devised by Hephaestus.

"May I present Themiscyra's original champion," Hippolyta announced. Kalea could see the cold satisfaction the new Wonder Woman had at Diana's scathing glare upon hearing her mother utter those words before Hippolyta continued her introduction, "Artemis of Bana-Maghdall was our original Wonder Woman before plans were…derailed. She shall represent Themiscyra to the world and protect mankind from itself."

Aresia made her way from the plane's interior to the ramp, "Oh!"

"Aresia, you defied royal edicts to return here but you did so honorably. The five goddesses have chosen to reward you. They have not shared how with me. That secret is yours to unlock," Hippolyta informed her.

Aresia looked baffled, "Um…very well then."

Kalea bowed at the waste, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Your profound wisdom will benefit the safety of an entire world."

Diana snorted but Hippolyta was quick to comment, "My wisdom was from seeking the goddesses' advice. They chose to reinstate our original champion and send her once more on her original task. It seems you are an instrument of the gods just as your stepmother is as well."

Kalea was stunned and Diana was revolted. Hippolyta chuckled, "Such is the wisdom that has been bequeathed to me."

"I won't presume to debate you," Kalea conceded but Diana looked ready to pick a fight.

Artemis broke the tension by striding to the ramp. Kalea offered her hand and forearm in greeting. Artemis was pleased. Almerac shared the greeting in common with the Greco-Roman world for similar reasons. They clasped sword hands.

"Greetings, Artemis of Bana-Maghdall. I am Kalea-El, daughter of Maxima, Empress of Almerac and its subject worlds," she said as an introduction. Kalea felt it best not to mention her father was Princess Diana's husband.

Artemis turned to Nyssa, "Are you an Amazon as well?"

"Hardly," Nyssa smiled, "But I belong to a society even older than Themiscyra's."

They boarded the plane and found Lady Blackhawk standing by to raise the ramp. Afterwards she reported to the cockpit. Penny's voice rang out over the intercom.

" _Head's up ya'll. We're goin' VTOL,"_ Penny's voice announced.

"I don't understand," Artemis admitted.

"We'll be going straight up and then adjusting to forward propulsion," Kalea described what would be occurring.

The plane lurched into the air and Nyssa counseled the Amazon, "If the ride is too rough, there are seats available."

Artemis took this as a challenge and Nyssa instantly liked the new Wonder Woman. Aresia made her way to Artemis and was amazed when the newly appointed champion spoke with her. But then again, they were both outsiders brought to Themiscyra. So they had more in common than either of them yet realized.

Kalea went to the cockpit and emerged before activating the center display table. Everyone's seats unlocked and repositioned themselves in front of the table. Half the group remained standing.

"How did you know about this?" Deathstroke asked Kalea.

"You're not the only one with secrets, Slade Wilson," Kalea replied.

Kalea called up imagery from ARGUS databanks and satellite taps, "This is the ARGUS mop up in the Everglades. The Justice Leagues targeted the Hall of Doom but they lost the prize."

Kalea called up another floating image, "The Hall is now in orbit between the Watchtower and the International Space station and directly on the other side of this world from the Chinese Orbital Habitat. Batman and Director Waller are already planning an insertion into the Hall of Doom to finish ascertaining its secrets."

"Count my people out," Deathstroke declared, "They aren't trained for microgravity environments."

"Batman said to send his regards to the Crimson Queen," Kalea smirked.

Slade didn't know who to be angrier with. Kalea for her smug attitude. Batman for his knowing far too much. Or himself for being predictable.

"My Injusticers are hardly qualified as well," Nyssa pointed out.

"Batman has requested that you report to Nanda Parbat and convince Talia of the infeasibility of her stance towards the Legion," Kalea relayed to Nyssa.

"Talia only listens to her own mind," Nyssa warned her.

"Then find a way to be in her mind," Kalea urged.

Nyssa visibly shuddered. Kalea found that interesting, "ARGUS files state you were a Raatko until recently being formally integrated into Ra's al Ghul's family by Talia. Surely the same insight that enabled the completion of that goal can sway Talia."

"I'll…try. I can't promise anymore than that," Nyssa conceded.

"Meanwhile, ARGUS is preparing to meet and brief Wonder Woman," Kalea informed Artemis.

"When do we face the enemy?" Artemis was eager for action.

"The enemy is hiding," Kalea shared, "But I may have the means to help in that situation."

Everyone waited and then realized Kalea wasn't going to share the how of it.

* * *

Ultraa met up with a very naked Lobo with the escort of a four man honor guard. Ultraa provided Lobo with clothes very similar to his usual apparel. Before Lobo dressed though, he had to brag.

"Thanks fer the pants. Most guys can't hang with the Main Man when I'm hangin' all out and they find themselves facin' a dick the size of their arm," Lobo laughed.

Ultraa sliced off the aforementioned penis with once quick stroke. Ultraa's guards held Lobo back while the bounty hunter utilized language that would've corroded the hull of a battleship, "Sorry, I thought that would make you feel better. Was I mistaken?"

"Yer gonna find yer head shoved up yer own ass, ya bastich!" Lobo snarled.

"I didn't come to fight you," Ultraa announced, "I came to hire you."

"I'm on a farckin' job, ya puss pocket," Lobo snapped.

"You found Kalea and engaged her. Your job is done," Ultraa reasoned through it, "Kalea-El defeated you in personal combat. She should have earned your respect. Let her go."

"An' who do ya want me ta frag?" Lobo wondered.

"Mongol," Ultraa announced, "He should prove to be a considerable challenge."

"Yeah, it'd be fun," Lobo conceded.

"He's in the Dreas system. He's planning on interfering with a small colony located there. I want you to take him by force and deliver him to Apokolips," Ultraa instructed.

"Ta Darkseid?" Lobo mused, "Why?"

"Because Darkseid will reward you with greater wealth and opportunities than you can imagine if you do this," Ultraa explained.

"So why Darkseid? I heard ya Almeracians turned on him," Lobo recalled.

"Kalea betrayed Darkseid by reinstating Maxima to the throne. But I am loyal to both Darkseid and Maxima. In order to insure Maxima's survival, I must collect Mongol and Despero and deliver them to Darkseid himself," Ultraa explained, "Mongol is more powerful than I. Therefore he is your target but I'll personally deal with Despero."

"Is Rock Face expectin' me?" Lobo asked, "`Cause I don't wanna have ta regenerate from scratch again. Makes me hungry and that makes me cranky."

"Darkseid has been informed you're bringing Mongol to him on my behalf." Ultraa explained, "And he has other employment opportunities in mind for you."

"Great! The Main Man workin' fer the biggest motherfarcker in the multiverse. Can't wait!" Lobo enthused, "But I need a ride."

The honor guard snapped to at Ultraa's direction and offloaded a rocket cycle. Ultraa beckoned towards it, "Your favorite model, I believe."

Lobo was impressed. All of his favorite weapons were stored in saddlebags and saddle scabbards, "It'll do."

Lobo fired up the cycle and roared off. Ultraa's men flew the shuttle back to the battleship in orbit around the Orias system. Ultraa had them adjust course and head for Delta Vega as soon as the shuttle was securely aboard. Despero had been seen preparing for his revenge there.

Despero and Mongol would account for Maxima's penance and the survival of Almerac's empire. However, Kalea was on her own with Darkseid. Ultraa almost pitied her.


	20. Chapter 20

29

The Legion and the Justice Leagues returned to OmniTech tower in Los Angeles after their defeat on Themiscyra. It was the first major setback that the Legionnaires had been a party to and it rankled them. The Legion trio settled the Justice Leagues, the Crime Syndicate, and the returning Legion of Doom members in before retiring to their penthouse. Brainiac rallied the kitchen and drinks staff.

Brainiac made his reports to the LSV trio, "Booster Gold and Goldstar arrived at the Hall of Doom on schedule. However, despite being surrounded by John Lynch, Majestic, the Injustice Society, Regulus and his Basilisk forces, and a representative of the Court of Owls answering to the title of the Advisor who led a force of mercenaries, they found Luthor and the Female Furies had already absconded. And they took Big Barda with them. In other news, Booster and Goldstar handed over Mother of Champions to Grodd and Merlyn at the OmniTech facility in Pomona that has been made available to us."

"Is Luthor trying to sabotage our efforts after having done so much to bolster them?" Lightning Lord puzzled over it.

"Inconclusive," Brainiac replied, "However, I can tell you that Booster and Goldstar reported the loss of the temporal agent into enemy hands and they activated the Hall of Doom's emergency protocols. The facility itself now rests in orbit."

"Where?" Cosmic King sharply inquired.

A holographic display showed the locations of the Hall of Doom, the Watchtower, the International Space Station, and the Chinese Orbital Habitat. Brainiac highlighted the Hall of Doom's location by making it display in a red color, "There it is. In addition, alien probes attempted to locate and penetrate the security buffers of the world's artificial intelligences and near AI systems. I alone have been exempted for some odd reason."

" _All_ of them?" Lightning Lord was skeptical.

"Roxy's defenses have gone to full alert. Brother Eye reported the necessity of the same to me. The Bat Computer's firewall has been attacked, necessitating secondary defensive measures that were heretofore unknown to anyone outside the system," Brainiac explained.

"Why do you classify the threat as being alien in nature?" Cosmic King wondered.

"Although the probes were launched from a classified ARGUS IP server, the language protocols of the computer accessing the IP was alien in origin. In fact, my systems should have recognized the language but strangely, that part of my memory seems denied to me," Brainiac reported, "Just as I am unable to interface with systems aboard the Hall of Doom at this current time."

"Why are you unable to communicate with the Hall?" Lightning Lord wanted to know.

"I am in communication," Brainiac sounded insulted, "I am unable to interface."

"Speculate as to why," Lightning Lord grated.

"I am unable to do so," Brainiac admitted, "It seems as though my interlink device with my main processor is offline. I have Booster and Goldstar attempting to ascertain the nature of the problem."

"Then why are you functioning here?" Cosmic King wanted to know.

"I maintain a functional, partial backup of my key processes here at OmniTech," Brainiac shared, "But I am merely a terrestrial computer operating from my backup."

"A computer with delusions of former glory, you mean," Lightning Lord chuckled.

"I find it very disturbing. As should you," Brainiac warned Lightning Lord and Cosmic King, "I am unable to function at my full parameters while I am crippled this way. In long term operations, that could prove troublesome."

"Could Brother Eye serve as a replacement?" Cosmic King asked.

"Brother Eye was approached by me on Luthor's behalf. He only answers to the entity known as the Other. Seeing as how the system was designed and constructed by Batman to catalogue, classify, and develop countermeasures against meta-human threats through the use of the OMAC sentries I believe Brother Eye would ultimately betray the Legion," Brainiac explained.

"Who is this 'Other'?" Lightning Lord demanded to know.

"Unknown. Hence he is being simply called the 'Other'," Brainiac reported, "Snatches of overheard conversation indicate the Crime Syndicate may know who and where he is."

"Saturn Queen, get Ultraman in here," Lightning Lord commanded. He looked around when he didn't get a reply, "Eve?"

"I'll check her room," Cosmic King offered. Lightning Lord was left wondering why he hadn't noticed her absence before. Normally all three LSV Founders were hyper aware of the others' locations.

* * *

"No!" Saturn Queen snarled to no one, "I told I'm done with you. You're dead already! I killed you!"

"It isn't easy letting go, is it?" Cosmic King asked from the doorway where he'd quietly forced the lock.

"Laevar!" she was startled. And a telepath was never startled. She wiped tears away.

"How can I help you after you apologize for this breech of privacy?" Saturn Queen asked.

"You're not alone, Eve," Cosmic King assured her, "Mekt and I are having difficulties putting our fake lives to rest as well. Only, you'd be hard pressed to get Mekt to admit it."

"Yes, he does have to pretend to be invincible," she said ruefully, "You expected this, didn't you?"

"I suspected it was happening given the difficulty I've faced," Cosmic King shared, "And the fact that you used your telepathy to slip away somewhere quietly."

"I'm sorry about that, Laevar. I just wanted to be alone," Saturn Queen confessed.

"Yet, you really aren't alone. Are you?" Cosmic King pointed out, "At least not in your mind."

"I could end your problem and Mekt's as well," Saturn Queen offered.

"You could?" Cosmic King was surprised.

"You obviously don't recall that I'm the one that created your false personas under the direction of the Titan Council whereas the full might of the council as directed through Imra Ardeen developed Tessa within my mind," Saturn Queen nearly spat Saturn Girl's name, "What I created I can also destroy."

"And what about yourself?" Cosmic King wondered.

"What _she_ created I can also destroy. It'll just be harder," Saturn Queen promised.

"I'll tell Mekt," Cosmic King went down the hall.

Saturn Queen looked at the mirror dominating one wall, "I _will_ destroy you."

She could have sworn her own image laughed at her.

* * *

It took some persuading to get Lightning Lord to admit to having a lingering problem. But once he allowed himself to he readily sat down in a recliner. Cosmic King sat in another nearby. Saturn Queen came from behind Lightning Lord and rested her fingertips on his temples.

"Just relax and let me in. Don't worry about anything I see, taste, smell, or touch. That will remain between your mind and I," Saturn Queen promised.

Closing her eyes her visual landscape shifted to an open sphere with a raging storm inside of it. Saturn Queen knew this was the root of Mekt's real problem. Lightning Lord literally believed in a mythical storm that gave him directions in life. This electrical disturbance in his brain was the root of that fixation. Yet she also knew from a doctor's scan of Mekt one time when he was injured that the disturbance was a result of biofeedback from the nature of his electrical powers working on his mind. Neither Lightning Lad nor Lightning Lass had such a problem. Which was probably why Mekt was the criminal and Garth and Ayla belonged to the Legion of Super Heroes.

Located in a strongbox at the base of the storm and at the root of Mekt's consciousness, was the artificial psyche. Saturn Queen pried the box open and studied its contents. Inside was a man named Leonard Skynx. Skynx had parleyed the monies provided him by the LSH and become wealthy. Living a dissolute life, Skynx had partied across the globe looking for a greater purpose and a grander destiny. Obviously elements of Mekt Ranzz had leaked into Skynx.

She erased Skynx with a wave of her hand. Mekt would know he'd lived an artificial life for two years but he'd have no lingering memories from that life. Saturn Queen could sense Mekt's mind shudder as it adapted to its new reality. And like most minds, it most easily adapted to changes it wanted made. Even the electrical storm at the root of his consciousness ebbed. So Eve Aries withdrew from Mekt's mind.

"My. God," Lightning Lord gasped, "Everything is so clear now!"

"You're welcome," Saturn Queen said without being smug, "Now for you."

Laevar Bolto was more hesitant. There were feelings of guilt and remorse wrapped around his strongbox. And hatred and a desire for vengeance.

Inside Laevar she found a fellow by the name of Clifford Banes. Like Tessa Richardson, Banes had fully embraced his new life, fallen in love, gotten married, and even had a child. But when Laevar Bolto broke through the cracks and killed Banes' wife and child, he thought he'd locked Banes' rage up with the man himself. Even Saturn Queen had missed that on her first pass disentangling Mekt and Laevar from their false lives.

Just as Skynx longing for a grand destiny had haunted Mekt, so too did Banes' wrath haunt Laevar. As she eliminated the threat she could visibly see his mind sag in relief. Eve knew from experience with Tessa that Banes had undoubtedly attacked Laevar when he was at his lowest ebbs. And with his defenses down, Laevar would be more prone to suggestion from the buried psyche. Just as Laevar had undermined Banes at one time.

Saturn Queen broke contact, both mentally and physically. The strain of the precision she'd had to operate with had taxed her inner reserves. Tessa's next uprising wouldn't be far off.

"Thank you!" Cosmic King said gratefully.

"I'm going to my room. Please have some food and a pitcher of water left for me at my door," Saturn Queen requested, "I'll see you both tomorrow morning."

She returned to the master bedroom. Lightning Lord faced Brainiac's holographic hologram, "Inform everyone we're beginning a forty-eight hour moratorium on active operations."

"As you wish," Brainiac leapt to it, "And would you recommend a meal selection for my Queen?"

Lightning Lord marveled how Eve could make anyone love her. Even a machine. He and Cosmic King collaborated on a menu. And they made certain it was understood not to serve wine with her meal. She needed her faculties fully alert and cognizant. She was battling for her life, after all.

"She's not going to beat this alone," Lightning Lord fretted.

"What do you recommend? She's the most powerful telepath on the planet. Hell, in the solar system," Cosmic King retorted.

"We have the Martian and the Brotherhood of Evil reported the existence of a second Martian on Earth," Lightning Lord reminded him.

"J'onn Jonzz is the last Green Martian. We both know that to be a historical fact. And he's under Eve's power and has broken her hold on him once already. I wouldn't find it advisable to send him into her mind."

"Then we enlist the other Martian's aid," Lightening Lord insisted.

"There are no more Green Martians!" Cosmic King was adamant.

"I never said she was a Green Martian," Lightning Lord pointed out.

"A White Martian?" Cosmic King looked stunned, "Helping the citizens of Earth?"

"Stranger things have happened even in our time," Lightening Lord replied.

"The question is, does she know her own people will be annihilated in a few years?" Cosmic King asked.

"No, the _real_ question is what would she do for details surrounding that event?" Lightning Lord smirked.

* * *

The Crime Syndicate was gathered in a quiet corner of the main lounge. Riddler had returned with Query and Echo behind him and they'd gone out to inspect the underground gambling scene in Los Angeles. Penguin and Two-Face had returned to Gotham to inspect their secretly linked criminal empires. Scarecrow was in the lab perfecting his Venom based fear toxin.

Having time off, the Crime Syndicate each enjoyed a stiff drink while waiting for Superwoman to rejoin them. She sauntered up wearing a scowl. She'd ordered up at the bar upon entering the room.

"The Other reports Brother Eye is deflecting some kind of alien probe. It's wreaking havoc with the older OMACs," she reported.

"What kind of aliens?" Ultraman asked.

"The outer space kind," Superwoman hissed at him, "Don't you find it too coincidental that Superman's alien daughter shows up hours before alien probes start attacking Brother Eye?"

Ultraman thought about it, "No."

"Gah!" Superwoman swatted him upside the head, "You're useless."

"Stop it!" Ultraman demanded, "Mother and fathers said…"

"My mommy and daddies said!" Superwoman sneered, "Grow up! They don't want you at all. They want _him_!"

Superwoman pointed at Superman across the room, "They always choose him over you. Get used to it. No one will ever want you while he's alive."

"Except us," Atomica quickly threw in, "We're your only hope and your only friends really."

Even if Ultraman didn't grasp it, the assurance of friendship from a woman whose idea of good time was throwing infants into a wood chipper wasn't reassuring.

"S…so…what…d…do...wuh…we…do?" Power Ring fearfully stammered.

The Ring of Volthoom was punishing Jessica Cruz for her recent losses. Atomica was delighting in Jessica's terror all while playing at being her friend.

"We go to the Other and help him prepare for the star gate's activation," Superwoman told them.

"It's finally ready?" Atomica's heart and libido soared.

"Yes, the trial runs have already been completed. Soon the gate will be opened to Earth-3 and we can finally bring everyone we want to across the dimensional wall here to Earth Prime," Superwoman said with relish, "And the Other has been in contact with Owlman, Deathstorm, Johnny Quick, and the Sea King the entire time we've been gone. Alex Luthor thought they were dead as did Darkseid's whore, Mortalla. Max Lord wanted to believe it so he has without question or investigation."

"Awl right!" Atomica wanted to cheer, "I'll be reunited with Johnny and you'll have Owlman. It's a great day to be alive and psychotic."

"Shouldn't we at least say goodbye?" Ultraman whined.

"No!" Superwoman and Atomica tersely said at the same time.

Power Ring hysterically tittered. Superwoman sighed, "Get her under control and let's meet at the elevator. You, I'm not letting out of my sight."

Ultraman sulked when Superwoman told him that.

* * *

"I can't believe they killed him. Not Scott," Atom was aghast, "What are we going to tell Barda?"

"That he died fighting for what he believed in," Superman stated, "At least, if she can ever accept his new allegiance."

"I find that unlikely," J'onn admitted, "Scott Free was hardly Big Barda's only reason for leaving the Female Furies behind when she was their leader. Scott found her a way off of Apokolips but she'd made her decision alone to go. And we all know Granny Goodness' influence over her orphans."

"Some better than others," Superman grumbled, "But Barda may leave Earth now. Highfather would take her in to New Genesis but she may not want to even be around other New Gods after this. Look at Bekka leaving Orion and joining the Sinestro Corps."

"And if Scott had never come to Earth he wouldn't have adopted the Mr. Miracle identity and he never would have joined the Justice League," Atom postulated, "At least the Justice League Unlimited anyway, since we're the only true Justice League."

"You're not going to start that again, are you?" Superman complained.

Atom seemed oblivious the fact the room was filled with members of the Justice League International, "Why shouldn't I?"

"Because we are gathered to honor Mr. Miracle's memory and the kindness he bestowed upon us by being in our lives," J'onn reminded him.

"Uh…right. To Scott!" Atom toasted.

Superman clinked his coffee mug against Atom's and J'onn glass of milk. J'onn excused himself, "I shall return shortly."

When the Martian came back, he had a platter full of Oreos and a pitcher of milk. Superman happily dug in. Atom looked queasy.

"Guys? Do you have any idea of how bad those are for you?" Atom inquired.

"I'm invulnerable," Superman said with a full mouth.

"On Mars these would be consider organic health food," J'onn revealed.

"Captain Marvel introduced you to Oreos, didn't he?" Superman asked J'onn.

"And a happy day that was," J'onn recalled fondly.

"I wonder how Captain Marvel is doing." Superman admitted, "We've seen a few All Stars out there but their heavy hitters seem to be absent."

"I've wondered about that myself," J'onn confessed, "It does seem odd when the combined might of the Justice League of America and the JSA All Stars could possibly overwhelm us."

"Who cares?" Atom shrugged, "They'd just oppose the Legion anyway."

"I wonder why," Superman confessed, "And why did we used to? It's all kind of hazy now."

"Indeed," J'onn frowned.

"We believe that is a question worth reflecting upon," Samurai told them as Black Vulcan and Apache Chief surrounded the JLers' table.

"Traitors," Atom grumbled.

"Uh…have a seat?" Superman offered.

J'onn guarded the Oreos and the milk. Superman swatted him away. The JLI members sat down between the JLU members.

"We need to discuss why we're with the Legion and not fighting it anymore," Black Vulcan said forthrightly, "If you aren't up to it, take a walk."

Atom fidgeted but he stayed where he was at, Apache Chief approved, "The question remains, why are we suddenly allied with our traditional foes? What changed in an instant?"

"I don't know," Superman admitted, "It just makes sense now when it didn't use to."

"But why is that?" Samurai pressed harder.

"Because Saturn Queen is a tremendously powerful telepath and she manipulated our minds to make us swear allegiance to her," J'onn revealed, "And only her."

"Which is very interesting because there are three of them," Black Vulcan remarked, "So what do we do about it?"

* * *

"You had no right to open negotiations with the Injustice Society!" Waller bellowed at Katana inside her office within the Hall of Justice.

"I approved of the deal," Batman shut Waller down; "I ordered their release because I believe Tigress will honor her word. She honestly believes Katana will kill her if she doesn't."

"And will she?" Waller angrily asked.

"Yes," Katana insisted.

"No," Batman did his own insisting.

"Threats are useless without follow through," Waller lamented.

"Tigress' history, in fact her whole damn family's, revolves around revenge," Steve Trevor pointed out, "And Tigress believes the Legion screwed her and Icicle. She'll come through for us. And if not, Katana can say hello to the happy hunting grounds."

Batman scowled. Waller warded him off, "Stay out of it Batman. This is a JLA matter now."

"Law enforcement isn't a covert operation," Batman argued.

"Actually, most of the time it is," Waller retorted, "Which brings us to Nightwing. Where is he? Little Mermaid is panicking."

"Nightwing is a grown man. He can extricate himself from whatever situation he's placed himself in," Batman said indifferently.

"Colonel, Katana, could you excuse us? And Colonel, please wait outside," Waller directed.

"You're freaked out about Nightwing," Waller observed.

"I'm concerned. There's a difference," Batman corrected her.

"My people faced the Court of Owls. They're sneaky bastards but they didn't turn out to be as dangerous as their legends portrayed," Waller commented.

"You didn't face the Court of Owls. You faced a single nest. Gotham is their leadership hub but the Court exists throughout the world. They have nests in every country," Batman warned her, "The Owl advisor who ran the mercenaries in Florida matched the description of Lincoln March."

"Your little brother," Waller acknowledged the importance of that information.

"His daughter, Helena Wayne, was Dick's immediate field commander in Spyral. She had access to everything about him," Batman divulged, "Presumable Lincoln knows everything she now does. Given Lincoln's propensity for mind games and Helena's volume of ammunition, there's no telling what Dick is into."

"Sonuvabitch!" Waller snapped.

"Eloquently put," Batman said drolly.

"I'll put a team together," Waller offered.

"I know someone that can move within the Owl ranks unseen," Batman turned the offer down, "I need twenty-four hours to prep him then I'll be back."

"You have your time," Waller promised him, "Send Steve in here in your way out. And good luck."

"It's never about luck," Batman advised her.

Trevor reentered the office and Waller shared the news, "Batman is indisposed for twenty-four hours. That makes you the field commander."

"Except I answer to you," Trevor tested her out.

"Legally speaking, you do. But operationally you're on your own," Waller pledged, "But I would recommend getting a team inside the Hall of Doom ASAP."

"Penny called in her landing," Trevor informed the JLA Director, "Slade is taking his people back to Bailya and Nyssa is headed to Nanda Parbat. Which leaves us breaking in a rookie Wonder Woman and a would-be alien conqueror."

"Kalea-El has shown a talent for embroiling herself in Justice League operations lately. Batman vouched for her motives. I accept his word," Waller told him.

"And her motives are?" Trevor wondered.

"To defend her sister, which she has, and to liberate her father from mind control, which she hasn't done yet," Waller explained.

"Is she fully aware of the facts in this case?" Trevor wondered.

"She should be by now," Waller smirked, "She's hacked virtually every computer on Earth."

"What?" Trevor yelped, "How?"

"She has communications relay set up with her shuttle and she used the IP server on the Invisible Jet to access human networks. Batman reported that she also had access to an Almeracian intelligence gathering system inside our own solar system," Waller explained, "Every cyber police unit in the world is on high alert after having her rape all of their computers."

"We have to do something," Trevor insisted.

"POTUS and the SecDef know but ARGUS is completely deniable so it can't be brought back to us evidentiary wise," Waller insisted.

"We should still take her into custody," Trevor urged.

"How?" Waller wondered, "She's only half-Kryptonian. Our countermeasures would eliminate Power Girl from responding to a crisis and the Marvels have already proven that Kalea would still be a match for Black Adam and Isis. And I doubt our new Wonder Woman would be inclined to join Troia in a conflict with someone who may very well be her best friend now."

"So we do nothing?" Trevor was reeling from that concept.

"We talk it through with her and deliver a slap on her wrist," Waller suggested.

"And if she refuses to talk?" Trevor wondered.

"Then we have more than elements from one Justice League to throw at her now, don't we?" Waller smiled.

* * *

Waller was still smiling when she greeted Wonder Woman in the foyer. Penny and the Blackhawks hung back as Artemis and Kalea took the forefront.

"Greetings, Wonder Woman. I'm JLA Director Amanda Waller and this is Sue Dibney, our Chief of Operations, and my personal assistant, Maven. We'll be briefing you on our current situation and our ongoing responses to the threat."

"You may simply call me Artemis of Bana-Maghdall," she insisted.

"And Artemis and Diana are both the Greek and Roman names for the same goddess of the hunt," Maven pointed out.

"Thank you, Maven," Waller said icily, "Now Artemis, if you'll accompany us to our briefing theater?"

Sue gave Maven an encouraging look while Artemis bluntly asked, "And afterwards we can go kill our enemies?"

"I like your thinking if not your timing," Waller consoled Artemis.

* * *

Trevor intercepted Kalea, "Pardon me, but you're Princess Kalea-El?"

She gave him an amused smile, "Kalea-El is my formal address used in matters of state and policy as well as legal means. I have been formally stripped of title, rank, and even citizenship. So I am no longer a noble, a citizen, a subject, or a slave of Almerac or its subject worlds. I'm simply Kalea."

"Very well then…, Kalea. I have some official questions for you," Trevor motioned and Elongated Man joined him, "This is Ralph Dibney. He's a detective and will be standing in as the JLA's official investigator."

"Have I committed a crime?" Kalea sounded even more amused.

"We'll be determining that," Trevor warned her.

"Want me to come, honey?" Penny offered.

"Thank you but I'll be fine," Kalea said confidently.

"Be good to mah friend, Colonel. Or Ah'll rip ya'll a new one," Penny threatened Trevor.

While Trevor marveled over Penny's reaction, Ralph made his own introductions, "Like he said, I'm Ralph. But I'm also the Elongated Man and your invasion made my life a living hell. I hope to return the favor."

"Thank you for your honesty, Ralph, "Kalea allowed, "However, I spent months on a frozen planet where I faced death by predators every day. Then I have spent the better part of over four hundred of your solar days fighting the Gordanian invasion of our borders. You remember mentions of the Gordanians, don't you? They're the race that eradicated the Thanagarians, the winged race that easily conquered your world. The Gordanians don't conquer in the traditional sense. They don't capture and they don't enslave. They devour, usually while their prisoners are still alive. So how do you think you can possibly threaten me?"

Ralph stared at Trevor while he gulped. The Colonel took over, "Superman's report justifying the Justice League placing your mother back on her throne to bolster the war effort was not well received. King making shouldn't be a part of interstellar politics."

"No, just national ones," Kalea smirked, "Is this where we're going to conduct my interrogation."

Kalea had stopped in front of the very door they were headed for. Trevor was slightly disarmed, "Um…yes."

"May I say hello to the fellow in the very flamboyant floral print shirt in the next room?" Kalea wondered.

"Just get inside," Trevor opened the door. She waved at Hula Hula through the two-way mirror.

"That's right! You're half-Kryptonian," Ralph recalled.

"You are a detective," Kalea patronized him, "Although most nobles on my world possess psychokinetic gifts, my Kryptonian heritage has made my mental gifts largely recessive rather than dominant."

Kalea looked around, "I'm surprised you don't have Galatea standing by next door."

"Please stop looking around," Trevor tried getting control of the situation.

"I think it's too late for that, don't you?" Kalea mused.

"We call Galatea 'Power Girl" now," Trevor informed her.

Kalea groaned, "You people and your code-names. Honestly, who would look at you and suddenly cry out in terror that the Elongated Man had arrived?"

"I…uh…um…" Ralph tried to protest.

"Enough!" Trevor snapped, "Did you or did you not hack the global computer networks looking for information?"

"Hack?' Kalea sounded out the word.

"Access, pilfer, rifle through, break into…y'know, that sort of thing," Ralph translated for her.

"Ah, my language lessons seem to have skipped that use of the word. On Almerac we refer to it as code slicing. Something I'm rather good at, you see," Kalea explained, "And I didn't even have to try to access your systems. Their defenses were woefully pathetic."

"So you admit it," Trevor was astonished.

"Gladly," Kalea said happily, "And I wasn't the first."

"Excuse us?" Ralph suddenly said.

"Oh, you wouldn't be able to detect the footprints but other races have breezed through your networks as well. Some were concerned with sociological data and others military and defensive plans and capabilities," Kalea warned them.

"And which did you restrict yourself to?" Trevor was getting a headache.

"I didn't restrict myself to anything. But I did focus on meta-human law enforcement and criminals," Kalea shared.

"Are you planning an attack on our planet?" Trevor fumed.

"Of course not," Kalea sighed, "I would've brought a fleet rather than a single shuttle if I were planning an invasion. I'm here to find out who ordered my death and who killed my friend and the crew of her imperial corvette. In order to do that I had to collect a candidate list of suspects. I tried just going to your International Security Agency but they only receive data on a voluntary basis. So then I went straight to the sources and found they only release data as it pertains to their own security. So I eliminated the middle man and simply released all the data to all the people."

"You did what?" Trevor sputtered.

"Every file your individual law enforcement agencies ever compiled on a meta-human or masked criminal is now public domain," Kalea said proudly.

Ralph sputtered trying to contain his mirth. Trevor was on the verge of an aneurism, "Do you know what you've done?"

"Probably better than you do," Kalea said sagely.

Trevor bolted out of the room. Kalea looked at the mirror, "He seems to have pulled your friend out as well."

"Why did you do it?" Ralph had tears in his eyes.

"The keeping of secrets reinforced the divisions in my society. The castes were so stubbornly set in their roles and their distrust of one another that we couldn't marshal a defense against the Gordanians. It took a disastrous experiment with democracy to teach us what should have been obvious. We treated one another as greater cultural criminals than the real enemy," Kalea explained at last, "One of those secrets was the identity files of repeat offenders. Only criminals made examples of by the state were known to the populace. Therefore they were vulnerable to repeated efforts to bilk them. Even violent criminals with a high enough caste association had been protected by the nobility."

"Working as a rebel against the government I saw through these gaps in our society. And when the Triad failed to solve them, I gambled everything and placed my mother back on the throne and she addressed these inequalities as one of her first acts as our restored Empress," Kalea elaborated.

"So where did that leave you?" Ralph had to wonder.

"At the head of the list of violent and repeat criminals," Kalea explained, "And I was offered the role of elite problem solver by my mother in continuation of my work with the Democratic Triad in order to earn a parole and an amnesty from my criminal record. Much like your former Suicide Squad. I simply view my actions as a jump start for your society to mirror ours."

"Too bad no one will ever see it that way," Ralph said wistfully.

"Perhaps if you released the recording you're making of this conversation, they would," Kalea added.

* * *

Maven took Artemis on a tour while Sue checked with the operations center. There she found Trevor yelling into a phone. He slammed the receiver into its cradle.

"Woman's a goddamn menace!" he shouted.

Everyone went deathly still and Waller came out of her office, "What the hell is going on?"

"Kalea," Trevor said with exasperation, "She dumped every file on meta-human and masked criminals in the world into public domains. I'm talking _every_ file, no matter how classified."

"What?" Waller roared.

"Where is Kalea?" Sue asked.

"Excuse me?" Trevor wondered what she was talking about.

"You're here. Hula is here, where's Kalea and where's Ralph?" Sue fretted.

"Jee-zus people! Get back to the interrogation rooms!" Waller shooed them on.

They arrived to find Ralph in the observation room playing with a computer while Kalea sat alone in the interrogation room observing him. She waved at Sue and Trevor. Sue blinked and then got it.

"Right. X-Ray vision," Sue said and Kalea smiled, "And super hearing."

"Ralph, what are you doing?" Trevor inquired.

"Nothing much," Ralph replied. To Sue he sounded guilty. She peered over his shoulder.

He'd attached some file to his Facebook page and tweeted as well. He also seemed to be on…Wiki Leaks? He winked at her and motioned for her to not talk about it.

She wondered what he was playing at but she stayed quiet like he'd asked. So she simply asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yep," he confirmed it. Whatever damage he'd done was committed now. He was very happy with whatever it was.

Waller threw open the interrogation room door, "Happy, Ms. El?"

Kalea repeated her lecture regarding her name, "And I will be happy when I bring this Legion of Super Villains to some form of justice. Even yours."

"Thank you for acknowledging our sovereign right to govern our planet as we see fit," Waller said acidly, "Could you now refrain from releasing every classified file in the world to the public?"

"You wish to protect rather than expose criminals?" Kalea asked a tad archly.

"I would protect those that cooperate with the assorted governments," Waller grated, "You've exposed them to the world and especially to their peers. There will be a lot of deaths on your hands as a result and an incalculable loss of intelligence on our parts."

"Death and I are old friends," Kalea said sadly.

"Maybe there wouldn't be if you did what you were told and also kept your nose out of private affairs," Waller snapped at her.

"Yet you want my help," Kalea ventured, "So you'll forgive my trespasses."

Waller looked stumped. Trevor recalled Kalea's words regarding the noble classes of her world and their mental gifts. He wondered just how recessive Kalea's genes were.

"I need you to attend a briefing," Waller quickly recovered, "We need your help in reaching an orbital position. Our local options would simply take too long to prepare."

"Of course," Kalea consented, "I'd be happy to help. Provided it aids in the search for the Legionnaires."

Waller heard a naked hunger in Kalea's voice and realized Kalea's search only had a little bit to do with her father. What the young woman really wanted was revenge. Waller could provide that. Though she couldn't imagine how the Legion had offended the Almeracian.

* * *

Sue and Trevor briefed the JLA with Artemis and Kalea in attendance. Sue concluded her brief that included data from NASA, "That's how we have eyes on the Hall of Doom. The USAF did a flyby of the base with two of their space planes. They reported lights on but no sign of inhabitants. The Russians and Chinese are preparing launches of their own with a mandate to destroy the Hall of Doom."

"But we need interior access long enough to retrieve Brainiac's core processor," Trevor instructed everyone, "Thanks to our resident expert on Kryptonian tech, we now know the processor will be a crystalline shard the size of a small vase."

Kalea hadn't even known about Brainiac's existence until Trevor asked her about a Kryptonian built model. Argo had been festooned with similar systems. It didn't take much imagination to downgrade an interface to hook the processor up to human systems.

"Our ride here also assures us the crystal will be highly resistant to fractures and could survive a direct nuclear strike," Trevor added, "Most of you have never operated in a microgravity environment. Some of you have barely flown before this. Therefore this mission is on a volunteer basis only."

Every hand went up except Kalea's. She was guaranteed to go no matter who else went with her. Trevor smiled.

"I guess that makes it unanimous. Any signs of Azrael yet? Or Sister Lilhy?" he inquired.

"Sister Lilhy departed to retrieve Azrael," Katana informed him.

"As long as he's in one piece when he gets back," Trevor shrugged.

Hula Hula burst into the briefing theater, "Bad news, boss folks. The All Stars returned to the K-Star Ranch with Goldilocks and the Teen Titans went back to San Francisco and took Ravager with them."

"Sue, go hold the other JLers' hands before we lift off," Trevor instructed.

Kalea was intercepted in the hallway by Penny, "Ah hear ya'll are goin' inta space. To the Hall of Doom specifically."

"Yes, you can come," Kalea offered.

"Whut?" Penny was thrown off guard.

"You were in the process of asking me if you could come with us. Right?" Kalea said, "I just simply said 'yes' right away. Saves time that way."

"Ah don't know what to say?" Penny was almost speechless.

"Say you'll come with us and I'll let you fly the mission," Kalea stated.

"Ah wouldn't know how to fly your shuttle," Penny was ready to faint.

"It's not that hard," Kalea promised her, "It's mostly automated. That's how dummies like me fly through interstellar space without killing ourselves."

"Ah…Ah...of course! Of course Ah'll come!" Penny gushed.

"Good, meet me in my shuttle in fifteen of your minutes," Kalea went on her way again.

"Congratulations," Plastic Man cuddled with his wife.

"Ah can't believe it," Penny breathed, "Ah'm flyin' in space again. Ah haven't done that since we went to the Moon to deal with those alien blackmailers."

"Good times," Plas sighed.

"Plas, this here is a real space ship. A push of a button and we'd be on the other side of the galaxy. Maybe in another one altogether," Penny said halfway between dreamily and in terror, "It's like a dream come true."

"Then I guess it's about time it did," Plastic Man assured her, "And you'll be great. I trust you a lot more than I trust her."

"Plas!" Penny scolded him.

"Okay, I mean it's not like she's invading Earth to enslave humanity or anything like that this time but I can't say her motives are pure," Plastic Man replied.

"Ya'll can be a real stinker, you know?" Penny chided him.

* * *

"I'm releasing them, Steve. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it!" Nightshade angrily told Trevor.

"Think about this, Eve," Trevor insisted, "Are we really prepared for a Flash or a Firestorm to be cut loose in here?"

"That's bullshit and you know it!" Nightshade accused, "You know what the Night Force does to people in an instant and they've been in there for days. You damn well know with certainty they may never recover."

Green Lantern stared down Trevor, "Is this true?"

"Can you contain them if she lets them out?" Trevor deflected the question.

"Of course I can," John Stewart promised.

"He means _we_ can," Shayera Hol amended for him.

Captain Atom was in a fresh containment suit, "I can contain Firestorm."

"And we've got the Flash," John angrily promised, "Better than you ever had."

"Hula, call in a medical team. Just in case," Trevor ordered, "I'm going into orbit."

"Not fast enough," John grated.

Three EMT teams and a trauma specialist arrived with gurneys, "All right we're as ready as we can get."

"Your turn," John warned Nightshade.

She created a rift into the Night Force and vanished into it. Minutes later she dragged out Firestorm. He was catatonic. As soon as he was separated from the Night Force, he split back into being Ronnie Raymond and Professor Martin Stein. The EMT teams when to work while Nightshade reentered the Night Force for the Flash.

"Patient is alive but nonresponsive," Ronnie's team told the doctor.

"Same here," Stein's team reported.

"Get them to the med center stat. I'll call it in," the doctor used her handset radio to call the center while the EMTs loaded gurneys and headed through a seldom used door into a wing that most tried to avoid.

Nightshade returned with the Flash. The EMTs went to work assessing him, "We have some arrhythmia. We need to monitor his heart."

"Load him up!" the doctor said tersely.

"I'll deal with you later," John warned Nightshade. Shayera went with him so they could stand vigil over Wally West. Captain Atom decided to check on Ronnie and Prof. Stein.

Nightshade leaned against a wall and slid to the floor. Black Orchid tried consoling her, "Cheer up, Eve. At least you got them out of there while they were still alive."

"That's not much cause for praise," Eve Eden grumped, "You don't have a pissed off Green Lantern looking for your head."

"It'll be okay," Black Orchid promised.

"Will it?" Nightshade wondered, "I just hospitalized two men we're trying to return to our ranks. And Goldilocks took off and she's our whole damn reason for being here."

"I don't want to leave," Silver Swan insisted.

"For once I'm in agreement with Feather Head," Enchantress saw Silver Swan's annoyed expression and relented, "I mean Valerie. We're doing some good and due a break here really soon."

"Like finding out where the rest of the All Stars are hiding during this?" Nightshade was scornful.

"I know precisely where they're at," Enchantress revealed, "It's just that the Subtle Realms are a little out of my reach."

"Same here," Nightshade muttered while rolling an idea around in her mind.

Nightshade leapt to her feet, "I'll contact Dr. Fate. A Lord of Order would surely be able to retrieve the All Stars."

"Eve, wait…!" Black Orchid said but Nightshade had already dived into the Night Force.

"And then there were three," Silver Swan quipped.

* * *

Vapor stood watch over Dr. Mist while Belphegor jumped through the examination hoops. Praxis and Gypsy were with her keeping her calmed down. Black Bat and Batwing were simply charged with keeping Ulla and Owlwoman contained inside the building.

Vapor hoped like hell that Mist would recover. If he was lost to the JLI, that left the organization in Belphegor and Vapor's hands with Jack O'Lantern's death. That was a little more responsibility than Vapor felt ready for. In fact, it freaked her out.

* * *

Godiva and Killer Frost had stepped out to L'Albero Dei Gelati on the intersection of 5th Ave and 4th St in Brooklyn. Despite the January snow, Killer Frost enjoyed a frozen gelato and an iced coffee. And they sat outside. Godiva kept her coffee close to her face to shield it from the cold wind.

"Well, this is a first for me," Godiva indicated the snowy seating.

Killer Frost wore simple jeans and a sweatshirt in comparison to Godiva's parka and layers of leggings, "Thanks for dredging up something for me to wear."

"Troia seemed roughly your size," Godiva pointed out.

"Sorry about being out here but I'd be tempted to start absorbing the heat inside. That would freeze everything and everyone in there," Killer Frost said glumly.

"Do you have to absorb the heat?" Godiva wondered.

"Occasionally just so I don't go comatose and freeze over myself," Killer Frost mentioned, "Enough heat and I revert back to regular flesh and blood. For about ten minutes."

"And you did this to yourself?" Godiva tried to grasp that part.

"When Crystal Frost became the first Killer Frost she didn't know I was a bundle of unrequited love. When she died, I felt lost. Like someone had carved out my heart. So I used the equipment at the lab to duplicate her accident and became the second Killer Frost," she explained, "I wanted to avenge Crystal's death. I think I've accomplished that a hundred times over. It's time to move on. And I never considered the long term ramifications of what I'd done to myself."

"What kind of ramifications?" Godiva inquired.

Killer Frost looked very embarrassed, "Like the first time I went to Acapulco. I met someone in a bar and we went back to my room. I was in the middle of a muff dive when I got too excited and just let go," Killer Frost warned her.

"Sounds enjoyable to me," Godiva wore a naughty smirk.

"No, I drained all the heat out of her body. She froze and she died from it," Killer Frost hated to admit.

Godiva could hear her honest remorse. And Louise Lincoln had brought this story up to make a point. There were very real dangers too becoming involved with her.

"So…we might end up just being platonic if anything were to start between us," Killer Frost stated, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that 'accident' were to happen again."

"You said you could be superheated," Godiva pointed out.

"But the temperatures are beyond what human beings can endure," Killer Frost said miserably, "Other than that it's not losing myself to the passion of the moment."

"Which is sort of the whole bloody point to sex," Godiva commiserated, "I work with some of the smartest people on Earth. Surely one of them will have an idea."

"Then there's the whole 'wanted by the law' thing," Killer Frost reminded her, "Unless you want to copy _Orange is the New Black_ ; I don't we'd last through an extended sentence. Not unless we had years under our collective belts."

"I can make some calls about that as well when we return to the Hall of Justice," Godiva promised.

Killer Frost thought things were going even faster than she'd expected as she seductively licked her gelato.

* * *

Booster Gold and Goldstar were inspecting every system inside the Hall of Doom. When the emergency protocols had engaged every type of signal except for specialized radio gear had been isolated out of the Hall's controls. Brainiac had suddenly lost control of the computers and the twins were trying to determine why.

Finally they found the server containing the crystal interface. Only, the shard that served as Brainiac's CPU and hard drive was missing. Booster called it in.

" _This is most distressing. That shard is essentially my very being,"_ Brainiac informed them.

"Yet you're operational," Goldstar pointed out.

" _I maintain copies of my essential processes at various servers across the globe. The one at OmniTech currently serves as my host. Yet most of my functions are disabled without the control node crystal. My abilities are pared down to a fraction of their usual levels,"_ Brainiac explained.

"Life support is deactivating and we'll have to be out of here within a few minutes of it shutting down," Booster shared.

" _And there is activity at the Hall of Justice as well. They seemed to have launched some form of extraterrestrially capable shuttle. In addition, both the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China have launched prototype space fighters. Unlike the planes that flew by you earlier, these are armed with orders to destroy the facility,"_ Brainiac told therm.

"Then that's our cue to exit," Booster activated a boom tube and he and his sister went through to arrive that the Legion's private underground parking level. The twins went to the private elevator and passed their retinal screenings to utilize the elevator itself. Rather than ascend, they descended into the training levels and the laboratories.

* * *

Kalea had monitored Penny as the shuttle lifted off. The controls displayed Kalea's native tongue. Almerac had chosen one overlapping language to govern the empire's speech and they had wisely chosen a neutral language from an academic world other than Almerac. Kalea fluently spoke over thirty languages from within Imperial borders as well as a dozen alien tongues like English.

So Penny was reduced to reading pictographic displays utilized by the shuttle to translate its needs and surrounding environment to aliens. Kalea had stepped from time to time to adjust Penny's course corrections but like Kalea had stated earlier, the shuttle did most of the actual flying.

"Ease of the primary engine," Kalea suggested. Penny tapped the rear plasma drive section of the shuttle's mini display on her screen and edged down a bar meter. The shuttle's output decreased as Penny edged the meter further down.

"That good enough?" Penny asked.

"You might as well kill the sublight drive," Kalea reasoned, "You can take us in by RMS thrusters alone at this point. You just watch your proximity sensor and cut thrust when we slowly drift up to the building's airlock. Our airlock's mag seal wil automatically engage in proximity and lock itself to their docking collar."

"This is so cool!" Penny gushed.

Alarms began to sound and most of the displays turned red. Penny yelped, "Ah didn't do anythin'!"

"No, space craft launched from the surface have targeted us and are engaging us," Kalea frowned as swiveled her seat around to face Trevor, "I take it this is unexpected."

"They're prototype ships. We didn't know they could actually launch at this point," Trevor admitted.

"I presume they have orders to destroy this facility and us along with it," Kalea guessed.

"That would be my first assumption," Trevor agreed.

"You people and your nation-states," Kalea grumped, "This is going to be problematic."

"How?" Penny wondered and Trevor did to.

"We could evade them, outrun them, destroy them outright, or simply activate our defensive shields and let them waste ammo," Kalea listed the options, "But that's all useless if they gut the place we're trying to enter."

The tone of the alarms altered and Kalea was perturbed, "And now they're firing missiles at us."

She reached to the center display and tapped a control. Bands of light emitted from the miniature shuttle display until they formed a solid barrier around it, "Don't worry. I simply raised our force field."

Detonations made the ship shudder. Kalea turned to Penny, "The shock waves will require overt course corrections."

"Ah'm on it," and Kalea was happy to observe Penny was as good as her word.

"Have any suggestions, Colonel?" Kalea was enjoying watch Trevor's frustration mount.

"Can you patch me into those fighters?" he inquired.

"Easily. But I don't know they're specific operating frequency so yours will be a broadband blanket transmission on every frequency," Kalea advised him.

"Do it," he ordered.

Kalea handed him a toothpick, "You're on."

"Seriously?" he asked.

"I wouldn't waste words while they're locking on to their targets, Colonel," Kalea pointed out.

"Attention Russian and Chinese fighters. This is a rescue operation being conducted by the United States of America," Trevor announced, "Please disengage and return to your respective bases or we will be forced to defend ourselves."

Trevor made a cutting motion and Kales terminated the transmission, "Now what?"

"You said you had weapons systems," Trevor reminded her, "Can you simply shoot the missiles?"

"Of course, but…" Kalea started to protest.

"They've fired everythin'!" Penny exclaimed.

"Shoot them down!" Trevor yelled.

Kalea did as she was ordered to. The detonations tore the fragile space fighters to shreds and the parts burned their way through the atmosphere. Trevor and Penny simply stared in transfixed horror.

"Ah think Ah'm gonna be sick," Penny warned everyone.

Kalea handed her what looked like a respirator, "This will take care of any discharge."

"How…how could you?" Trevor was stunned.

"I tried to warn you about the shockwaves versus their airframes. But you demanded I open fire without all the facts," Kalea calmly pointed out while Penny vomited. Her mask disintegrated the contents of her stomach.

"I need to make course adjustments," Kalea warned Penny.

Penny waved her on. Transferring flight controls to her station, Kalea righted the shuttle's rearward headed course. Trevor was still speechless.

"You're accusing me of ordering their deaths?" Trevor was perplexed.

"Unintentionally to be sure," Kalea amended, "But the net result is constant."

"You could have tried harder to warn me," Trevor did his own accusing.

"You weren't rational then and you certainly aren't now," Kalea said coldly, "Be advised, Colonel. Humans aren't my favorite race. There's still a part of me that blames my father's absence in my youth on your people. If some threat had destroyed you all, it would've been a result of your own weaknesses not my father's absence from this planet."

Penny stared at her in horror. Trevor was getting a better appreciation of Almerac, "Your birth was a business transaction."

Kalea shrugged, "My mother wanted a suitable heir. My father wanted guilt free sex with a woman he couldn't kill while cavorting with. They each got what they desired. That's how things are...were done in the Empire. But that's slowly changing from my mother on down."

"And what about you?" Penny asked.

"I loved a man named Marcus with all of my heart. I thought he'd died before I invaded Earth. Part of my anger was born from my grief. But afterwards, Marcus delivered me from Argo and we toppled the government together."

"And how did that end?" Trevor wanted to know.

"I killed him so my mother could retake the throne;" Kalea said flatly, "Life support aboard this 'Hall of Doom' has been disengaged. No humans can survive the interior temperature extreme."

"Don't you have environment suits?" Trevor was perplexed.

"None you could operate," Kalea warned him, "However, if...Power Girl were to accompany me while wearing a rebreather mask, we could search the interior."

"Why a rebreather?" Penny wondered.

"It converts carbon dioxide back into usable oxygen. An Argoan and I can survive on very little oxygen and we're immune to the cold. So we're the likeliest candidates," Kalea explained.

"Thank you for the mask," Penny handed it back to her.

"If I signal you and instruct you to leave us inside, do it without hesitating," Kalea told Penny.

"But Ah…" she began to protest.

"Just do it or we'll all die," Kalea revealed, "And I don't want that to happen."

"Good luck," Trevor wished her well.

* * *

Penny had taken over again for the docking maneuver. Galatea and Kalea explored the interior of the Hall of Doom. Emergency lighting was still on so they were able to make out directional signs and maps. Eventually they reached the control center. Panels were left open all across the compartment.

"This is going to be very bad," Kalea predicted, "And why is every wall lined with lead?"

"You've never met Lex Luthor, have you?" Power Girl asked.

"Is he worth meeting?" Kalea idly asked while searching the area.

"He certainly thinks so," Power Girl told her, "Rumor has it he cut the deal with the Techno-Organic Union to kidnap you and bring you to them."

Power Girl was amused as a wall panel crumpled underneath Kalea's fingers as she peered inside the cabinet, "Why do you speak perfect English?"

"I learned through post-hypnotic suggestion tapes. The subconscious absorbs information faster than the conscious mind. I actually speak forty-five languages. I recently taught myself to read and speak Kryptonian," Kalea shared.

"You have been to Argo," Power Girl fully realized, "What was it like?"

"Cold," Kalea replied succinctly.

"Kara never talks about it," Tea said sadly, "But she misses it every day."

"Coming from a civilization like that, even a dying one, makes Earth seem like Purgatory," Kalea found a cabinet with central planning dictating its location, "Aha!"

"You found Brainiac?" Power Girl was happy.

"No, I found where Brainiac's control node shard _should_ be. Someone already removed it," Kalea said.

"Who?" Power Girl frowned.

"There's probably a nearly limitless list of suspects," Kalea complained.

"What would happen to you if you were returned to Argo?" Power Girl blurted out.

"I would fight predators every day to survive and for the limited prey that still exists," Kalea decided to be honest with her, "And that's if I didn't eventually freeze to death at night."

"There really isn't anyone else living there?" Power Girl asked.

"Six billion people live there," Kalea corrected her, "But there all corpses too frozen for the predators to eat."

"How did you keep from going insane?" Power Girl had to finally ask.

"I taught myself the language," Kalea told her, "After all, I had a civilization's library surrounding me. I could literally grow old and die without even scratching its surface."

"I hope they don't send you back there," Power Girl admitted.

"So do I," Kalea finally confessed.

* * *

Penny handled the flight back to the Hall of Justice. The JLers broke ranks. Plastic Man went off with Penny to retrieve their son and settle in for the evening. Artemis seemed to be having an animated conversation with Troia. Even Power Girl disappeared with Blackhawk. Black Adam and Isis had remained on Earth with Osiris in case of an emergency.

Kalea moved uncertainly through the corridors. And then she found herself intercepted by Katana and Black Bat. She recognized that they were both warriors as were Artemis and Troia.

"We need to discuss certain matters with you," Katana stated. And then the pair led Kalea to a meeting of a secret cabal. Kalea observed Owlwoman's intense pain. She knew what it felt like from personal experience.

"Well, I'm here," Kalea replied, "What did you want to discuss?"

* * *

Waller hauled Trevor into her office, "Dammit Steve! Thanks to your little stunt tensions between the Russians and the Chinese between the United States are at an unprecedented high that hasn't been seen since the Cuban Missile Crisis."

"Kalea tried to warn me of what would happen but I jumped the gun," Trevor owned up to his mistake.

"What you have done, Colonel Trevor, is push us to the very brink!" Waller snarled, "The entire world knows that the United States shot down the fighters. The fact that they were shooting at you is largely being ignored. No one realizes it was a JLA op and I've been denying it every time POTUS calls but an entire city…a _city_ mind you…saw that shuttle leave this base and return. Eventually the media is going to figure it out. The Russians and the Chinese will demand a blood sacrifice and POTUS will order me to hand your ass over. Are we clear about that?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Trevor said crisply.

"Good, now get out there and save the goddamn world before it blows itself up like you're supposed to. Then the Russians and the Chinese can go screw each other and die because in the eyes of world opinion, you'll be untouchable," Waller instructed.

"Ma'am," Trevor saluted and exited her office.

Afterwards, the White House called her…again.


	21. Chapter 21

31

Nightshade's dimensional warp brought her to Fate's Tower looming over the hillsides outside of Salem, Massachusetts. The edifice closely resembled an inland lighthouse…lacking the revolving light. Nightshade was surprised to find there was no entrance.

"Hello?" she called out.

Not eliciting a response, Nightshade stepped to the tower and pressed her hand against it. She could feel a slight swelling of mystical power as the tower analyzed who she was and whether or not she posed a threat to its inhabitants. Suddenly, Nightshade tumbled through the wall itself.

What she saw inside amazed her. She was at a threshold standing before a myriad of staircases stretching off into infinity. And most of them veered off in angles which defied the laws of physics. Yet Nightshade instinctively knew if she chose a staircase, she'd never fall off of it no matter how it angled away. At the center of all of this spider web of stairwells stood a burnished suit of…armor?

She had a feeling it was watching her. So she tackled the first steps to get to the central hub, "Hello?"

"Greetings, Ms. Eden. I am Amazo Prime. I shall be your guide," he informed her, "You are seeking Khalid Ben-Hassin, correct?"

"I need to speak with Dr. Fate," Nightshade insisted, "If speaking to this 'Khalid' is the first step, then so be it."

"Ms. Eden, Khalid is Nabu's human host that allows the fusion of mortal and Lord of Order that comprises Dr. Fate. So I would recommend presenting your dilemma to Khalid first. Then he will decided on whether or not to don the Helmet of Nabu," Amazo Prime explained.

"And what exactly are you?" Nightshade asked.

"I am an artificial life form," Amazo Prime answered, "I am completing my mastery of the mystic arts after having learned all there is to know about the physical universe. My next quest shall take me across the multiverse and beyond as I study each parallel dimension and outer realm for comparison. When I have achieved all of these goals it will be time to pass on my data or simply deactivate."

"I find seeking enlightenment is best accomplished through understanding the motive behind the task rather than the search itself," Nightshade offered him.

"Indeed," Amazo Prime considered her words, "I rather doubt a Lord of Order would say such a thing. But then Lords of Order were given their purpose to them by the Source and they have an unwavering commitment to that purpose. But lacking such conviction, I will take your advice regarding determining motive into account as I prepare to undertake my grand search. I have always assumed my purpose was enlightenment but now I have to wonder, why do I seek enlightenment? What end does it serve? Thank you for that."

"Or you may want to ignore me altogether," Nightshade countered, "After all, I'm really not that wise."

"It seems you have a good heart, Ms. Eden. And good hearts more often than not contain wisdom beyond that of the learned," Amazo Prime reassured her, "You have tried to guide me to the best of your admitted limitations. Yet there is profundity in your simple statement that stretches beyond all that I have learned until now. Therefore I cannot dismiss it."

"So which way do I go to find Khalid?" Nightshade asked.

"I'd best accompany you," Amazo Prime decided, "Even if you didn't get sidetracked, there's still Cerberus to deal with. He likes scaring strangers."

"I don't understand," Nightshade confessed.

"You will," Amazo Prime promised her.

* * *

One three headed hound induced slobber fest later; Amazo Prime led Nightshade to a study at the pinnacle of the tower. Like the rest of the space inside of it, the study seemingly occupied the glass enshrouded peak but there was enough space to include entrances to several rooms. Nightshade knew enough to realize the tower's interior existed in another dimensional plane than Earth Prime. And each of the hundreds of staircases undoubtedly led to other dimensions besides. Not unlike the pocket dimension inside Zatanna's stage top hat.

"I am afraid Kent and Inza Nelson have stepped out for the weekend. May I attend to your needs?" Amazo Prime inquired.

"It's all right, I'm finer," Nightshade demurred.

"Ms. Eden, I can detect that you need to vacate your bladder quite soon and that your caloric and fluid intakes are well below minimum health requirements," Amazo Prime pointed out.

"Um…I could a use a restroom. And some food, I guess," Nightshade was embarrassed.

"Tea or coffee?" Amazo Prime asked.

"Coffee," Nightshade replied, "Where's the…?"

"Through that door," Amazo Prime nodded.

"Are you going to inform Khalid that I'm here?" Nightshade wondered.

"He has been aware of you ever since you emerged from the Night Force," Amazo Prime promised her.

As the android stepped out, Nightshade wondered what Khalid Ben-Hassin's game was. She guessed it didn't matter and she really did have to pee.

Amazo Prime returned with a platter filled with a carafe, creamer, sugar bowl, spoons, two cups, and a plate full of English biscuits, "I deemed these more appropriate than scones."

Nightshade surveyed the selection of cookies, "They look delicious, thank you."

"To confess, I have not yet mastered the art of baking scones. I tend to burn them. I did not want to subject you to one of my many failures," Amazo Prime suddenly blurted.

"It's all right, Amazo. Even if you had tried to, your motives would have been pure and all would have been forgiven," Nightshade promised him.

"Thank you, Ms. Eden," Amazo Prime bowed at the waist, "Khalid is approaching now so I shall return to my studies."

Nightshade got the impression the android was very lonely. She prepared her coffee and discovered brewing bad coffee wasn't amongst Amazo Prime's failings. She'd never had such a delicious cup. And wasn't just the beans used either.

"I can tell you are amazed to find our resident student has immeasurable skill brewing coffee," a young Egyptian man said as he approached from one of the many side doors, "I'm Khalid."

"I'm called Nightshade," she said.

"But you're given name is Eve Eden and your mother was from the Land of Nightshades located within the Night Force," Khalid stated, "I took the liberty of looking you up when you came calling."

"Then you have me at a disadvantage," Nightshade was wary now.

"May I?" Khalid asked before sitting down.

"It's your tower," Nightshade grudgingly allowed.

"We don't keep annals on every meta-human on Earth Prime. Just the sorcerers, mages, witches, and sorceresses. You qualify because your powers are based from a magical dimension. Just like Amethyst only her raw power and lineage qualified her to become the youngest ever Lord of Order," Khalid saw Nightshade's confusion, "Nabu himself was once human. He was the magical advisor to Pharaoh Khufu and then went on after Khufu's death to battle the Lord of Chaos' many servants. The Lords of Order rewarded him by adding him to their ranks. And so both the Lords of Order and Chaos began inducting humans into their fold to swell their ranks."

"Why not do it the old fashioned way?" Nightshade asked.

"Neither the Lords of Order nor the Lords of Chaos procreate amongst themselves. They can't even conceive in the traditional sense. But they can mate with humans or across the divide and procreate that way," Khalid shared, "Of course, the elder Lords frown upon this and have historically dispatched agents to destroy the mixed offspring. They also despise fraternization between the hosts. Which puts Shazam in a vulnerable position."

"Excuse me?" Nightshade wondered what that comment was supposed to mean.

"These really are good biscuits," Khalid noted, "Before Shazam became a Lord of Order and was simply a wizard, he mated with a demoness and she bore him two children. But Shazam rejected his own offspring and they were raised as demons. Needless to say, their dual heritage gave them an advantage in the power struggles in the netherworld and Satanus and Blaze have amassed a great deal of power. And now they're collecting power from the various pantheons. Shazam is blinded by his own hubris to see it but Satanus and Blaze have begun creating their own brand of Marvels."

"Why are you telling me this?" Nightshade asked.

"Because Dr. Fate has spoken with Shazam only to be met with stubborn self-imposed ignorance," Khalid frowned, "But if you could suggest to the Marvel and Black Marvel families that they look into this, Maybe Shazam could be persuaded to intervene."

Khalid studied Nightshade, "You're not my usual brand of petitioner. Most people would have badgered me with a hundred questions by now."

"I only have one question but it will probably lead to a request," Nightshade warned him.

"Okay, I've been warned. What's your question?" Khalid chuckled.

"Can Dr. Fate free the JSA All Stars from the Subtle Reams?" Nightshade inquired.

"Of course he could," Khalid easily answered.

"Will he?" Nightshade asked, "Sorry, I know that's a question and a request all rolled into one."

"What are the All Stars doing in the Subtle Realms?" Khalid asked.

"I have no idea," Nightshade admitted, "But we need their help."

"Why?" Khalid wondered.

"I'm betting you don't get much mass media out here," Nightshade ventured. She then explained about the Legion of Super Villains joining forces with the Legion of Doom and taking over the minds of most of the Justice League Unlimited and the Justice League International. She also added that Madame Xanadu, Phantom Stranger, and Pandora had decided that Nightshade's group from the Justice League Dark would be the only JLers from the JLD to intervene. The rest of their League would hold out until the literal end of the world.

"What a cop out!" Khalid angrily declared, "Nabu may be swayed by that argument but I'm in control of most of Dr. Fate so I'll free the All Stars and send them home."

Khalid hesitated in front of the pedestal holding the Helmet of Nabu. Nightshade had to ask, "What's wrong?"

"There's a price to my becoming Dr. Fate. Because I don't let Nabu drive I go mad when I remove the helmet. In fact, the Nelsons have a room set up over there that's basically a padded cell."

"I'm sorry but this really needs to happen," Nightshade urged him.

"It always needs to happen," Khalid said sadly. Then he snatched the helmet up and placed it on his head. Dr. Fate's customary attire replaced his own and his voice became ethereal when he spoke, "I will intervene as you asked. And then I will approach Madame Xanadu, the Phantom Stranger, and Pandora in an attempt to rally the Justice League Dark to combating this threat."

Dr. Fate gesticulated and Nightshade vanished, "And now for Dr. Fate's former allies from the Justice Society."

* * *

Nightshade suddenly appeared before her teammates in the Hall of Justice's main lounge. Black Orchid let out a small shriek as she climbed up the backside of the couch she'd shared with Valerie Beaudry, "God! Don't do that!"

"I think I gotta pee," Valerie headed for the restroom. Enchantress was laughing so hard that she cried.

"Well?" Black Orchid had recovered enough to ask.

"Dr. Fate is bringing them back," Nightshade happily reported.

"And Fate himself?" Black Orchid inquired.

"Will try and persuade the JLD hierarchy to step in but otherwise I get the impression he'll stay out of it as well," Nightshade was little more glum now.

"Still it's helluva thing," Black Orchid mused.

"Oh, breathe or something!" Nightshade snapped at the tittering Enchantress.

Valerie returned, "I don't think I've ever seen her this happy."

"She has a point," Black Orchid conceded.

Nightshade just rolled her eyes in reply.

* * *

"Pour it on!" Stargirl shouted as she used the Cosmic Rod to vaporize dozens of demons. The assault on Johnny Sorrow's castle had begun twenty minutes earlier and the demons defending it had already endured staggering losses but it was plain to see Sorrow had withheld the bulk of his forces until now. Sentinel had already smashed in the front gates of the castle and was singlehandedly devastating rank after rank of demonic foot soldiers pouring out of it.

Atom Smasher was throwing boulders and chunks of the static fortifications surrounding the castle through its walls. Black Mary yelled, "Shazam!"

She gathered the mystical lightning and hurled it at the aerial demon hordes, electrocuting hundreds of them to death at a time. And she did so without qualm or remorse. Captain Marvel Jr. watched in transfixed horror as he dealt with those that got past Mary.

Flash lead the ground forces. Aptly demonstrating why he'd once been _the_ "fastest man alive", Jay Garrick used the flat of his hands and his tremendous momentum to cut through demonic ranks coming at the All Stars. Jesse Quick followed his lead just as her father, Johnny Quick, used to aspire to live up to Flash's example.

Hourman and Commander Steel met the demons in the forefront of the center while Metamorpho and Aztek held the flanks. Judomaster and Mr. Terrific caught the spillover that flowed past Hourman and Commander Steel. Meanwhile, Anna Fortune planned for the moment when she would use her final cataclysmic spell casing to deal with the demon masses.

As she floated out of range, she sensed a great magical upheaval. A surge of Order magic penetrated the dimensional folds. Anna amplified her voice.

"He's here!" she cried about Dr. Fate's arrival.

And suddenly the All Stars found themselves at the K-Star Ranch on Earth Prime.

* * *

"You'll be instrumental in defeating your witless friends," Sorrow sneered at the word.

"I'll thank you with my boot up your butt if you let me out of here," Sand promised.

And then Sand simply vanished in an ankh shaped flash of light. Sorrow was perplexed at first, "Order magic?"

He spun to confront Dr. Fate, "No! This isn't your realm, Lord of Order."

"All realms desire Order. Even this one," Fate replied and Sorrow found himself in the very same chains he'd placed Captain Marvel in,

"These won't hold me," Sorrow cackled.

"I see," Dr. Fate vanished.

Sorrow tried snapping the Order magic infused chains but it was a wasted effort. Then he tried unlocking them but the end result was the same. Finally he summoned his demon followers and they failed as well.

* * *

The All Stars were just recovering from their miraculous arrival at home when Anna warned them, "Don't anybody move."

Captain Marvel and Sand appeared in ankh flashes. Captain Marvel was delighted to see Stargirl, "Courtney!"

She aimed the Cosmic Rod right at him, "You'd better be proving who you are, buster!"

"Shazam!" Captain Marvel transformed into Billy Batson and Courtney Whitmore threw herself into his arms.

"Billy! It's finally you!" she squeezed him so tight it was hard for him to breathe.

"I would never ask you to do anything you didn't want to do," Billy promised her.

"How do you…?" Stargirl feared the worst.

"Sorrow made me watch everything he did and said with you," Billy calmly explained, but there was a murderous fire in his eyes.

Wildcat and Dr. Mid-Nite out of the central ranch house to greet the returnees. Wildcat chucked Sentinel's shoulder, "Alan, you old dog! Ya made it back."

Then Wildcat gripped him in a bear hug that nearly made Sentinel pass out. When Wildcat released him, Sentinel looked embarrassed, "It's good to be back, Ted. We have plenty of stories to tell from this one."

"Lemme tell ya `bout stories," Wildcat started to brief Alan Scott on current events.

"Vibe actually discovered he can breach dimensional walls," Dr. Mid-Nite explained to the Flash, "We were attempting to perfect the method so we could mount a rescue."

"It seems someone marshaled Dr. Fate into doing it for you," Flash smiled.

"Still, just the same, I don't think we have the resources to help Vibe perfect his newfound ability. We barely have a grasp on his simplified version of transmitting vibrations," Dr. Mid-Nite admitted, "It's going to take money and a dedicated research staff to hone this skill."

"Which are in short abundance around here," Flash conceded, "Anyone talked to Cisco about this yet?"

"I was about to," Dr. Mid-Nite shared, "I'd appreciate some help in that arena."

"Jay, Pieter, we need to gather Sand and Michael and analyze the ongoing crisis the Legion has created," Sentinel instructed.

Cyclone, King Chimera, Hawk, Dove, Lightning, and Vibe appeared. Wildcat nodded their way, "The kids can sort out a homecomin' celebration."

Cyclone got the united All Stars in the club house while Roxy's automatons prepared a meal and served drinks. The returning All Stars showered and changed before coming back to celebrate. Word of mouth from those left behind informed the returning All Stars of the Legion crisis. Despite being grateful to return, it seemed as though the situation back home was far more convoluted and less straightforward than battling demons.

Black Mary skipped out of the reunion. Roxy's avatar intercepted her, "What should I tell the others?"

"Don't tell them anything," Mary insisted before flying away.

Freddy Freeman was the only one to see her depart. And given the fact that Mary had already been missing for four weeks, it would take time before her departure was even noticed. Freddy wondered where Mary was headed but he thought he already knew. And he could understand her reasons for going.

* * *

Rick Tyler and Jesse Chambers asked Anna to step into a quiet room with them. Anna made her own terms, "Albert comes with me."

"That isn't…" Rick began.

"Al is coming with her," Albert Rothstein firmly declared. The couple backed down.

"Rick, it's good," Jesse assured him, "Al needs to hear this as well."

Jesse and Rick looked very contrite, "Rick and I have been very worried about you since you first appeared to the Justice League and later joined the Justice Society and now the All Stars. But we were wrong to suspect you of anything. You more than proved yourself in the Subtle Realms, including the fact that Rick and I were being guttersnipes."

"You shan't be getting any arguments from me," Anna said coolly.

"The point is, we're sorry. Your past is whatever it was and only the here and now is important. And in the here and now, you're one hell of a teammate," Rick offered.

"And that simple realization was all I ever asked you for. I'll accept your apology," Anna told them, "And perhaps someday we might even be on friendly terms besides mere professional ones."

Anna turned and led Al back to the reception. Rick was a little stunned but Jesse took in stride, "We should have expected that. Anna has no reason to trust Hourman and Jesse Quick. At least not yet."

"Have you noticed the higher ups are all missing?" Rick asked Jesse.

"Given what Maxine and Jennifer were saying, I'd say our list of problems grew by coming home rather than shrink," Jesse sighed.

"I'd still rather be home," Rick was quick to put in.

"Cisco looks worried about where he sent those mercenaries," Jesse pointed out, "Not that I don't blame him. Not knowing where they went has to be a lot worse than sending them in the first place."

Roxy suddenly appeared before them, "The team is being called together in the main house. Attendance appears to be mandatory."

"Rox, who do you recommend we send Vibe to to get help with his developing powers?" Rick asked.

"I'd recommend ARGUS," Roxy quickly answered, "They have the necessary expertise, funding, and staffing to assist Vibe. And they have access to the cooperating United Nations agencies, including the DEO and SHADE. And ARGUS was the umbrella agency behind CADMUS so they have all the pertinent research files produced during the initial cataloging of meta-humans."

Roxy also looked a little guilty, "In addition, both Vibe and Reverb send their respective stipends home to their mother. She recently staved off foreclosure but the house will be going back into arrears because Mrs. Ramone can't find dependable work that will allow her schedule to be wrapped around her other eight children."

"How can that be?" Rick wondered.

"Detroit is an economically depressed area. Full time employment is virtually unheard of and benefits aren't even a consideration and Mrs. Ramone has two children with chronic illnesses," Roxy explained, "And before you mention government stimulus bailouts, Mrs. Ramone doesn't owe enough to qualify but owes more than she can afford. Vibe and Reverb have mustered together funds to bring her out of arrears but it's a temporary solution at best."

"He's never said a word," Jesse realized.

"And he probably never will," Roxy pointed out, "Either brother could make more in the private sector or with the JLA yet they're determined to work in teams such as ours to help mankind in general while earning enough to help their family."

"Does Sand know?" Rick demanded to know.

"Sandy Hawkins is well aware of the situation. But Wesley Dodd's fortune is handled by financial advisors and those managers made a series of bad investments. Right now, there's barely enough money to fund the All Stars and the JSA Museum," Roxy revealed, "And as long as TylerChem is overseen by your cousin no relief will be coming from that direction."

Rick knew his father's company was one of the largest pharmaceutical firms in the world. But when Rex Tyler had disappeared between 1948-1986, his brother had taken over the firm. Rex reclaimed his financial birthright but his grandniece ran the company now and she had made a vow to never support Hourman or anyone affiliated with him. And Rex's personal fortune only stretched so far.

"We survived a recession just to come to this?" Rick was incredulous.

"Please help me to persuade Vibe he won't be betraying anyone by moving on," Roxy pleaded.

"You can count on us, Roxy," Jesse assured her.

"Thanks," Roxy winked out of existence.

"I thought I was fast," Jesse grinned.

* * *

Sir Justin tracked Goldilocks down to a darkened room, "Milady, art thou all right?"

"I'm as good as it gets," Goldilocks said sadly.

He flipped on the lights and Goldilocks shielded her eyes, "That was cruel."

"What art though doing here?" the Shining Knight inquired.

"Trying to find hope where there is none," Goldilocks revealed.

"Why hast thou lost heart, milady?" Sir Justin asked.

"Please, don't be concerned. It just makes it all harder," Goldilocks pleaded.

"Art thou troubled by the future?" Shining Knight wanted to know, "Take heart. We shall prevail because our hearts our pure."

"Maybe that's why the future is bleak," Goldilocks snorted.

"Pardon?" Sir Justin was confused by the remark.

"Any direction the future takes, my destiny is to die," Goldilocks promised him.

"What dost thou mean?" Sir Justin was alarmed.

Seeing his horrified expression, she took pity on him, "If we fail and my version of the future is restored, I'll be hunted down by Saturn Queen's minions and taken before her so that she can devise the most horrific death for me. It'll probably last weeks. And if we succeed in preventing any version of that future from happening then I'll never have been sent here and I'll just cease to exist. So either way, it's always been a suicide mission. One that I gladly accepted."

"This cannot be…" Sir Justin was stricken.

"It is, my love, and always has been," Goldilocks told him, "But thanks for your concern."

"But you said…" Sir Justin struggled with the truth.

"I said you might be reunited with Tessa and that's still true," Goldilocks promised, "But you can't save me. No one can."

"Um…we have a meeting about to get underway. I can try and stall them," Roxy offered.

"No need," Goldilocks assured her and headed out of the room.

"Sir Justin?" Roxy was uncertain how to proceed.

"I'm…I'm coming," he assured her at last.

As Sir Justin left the room, Roxy dropped her avatar but her processors dwelt on the matter. She'd recently conducted intensive research into temporal mechanics and Goldilocks had told the Shining Knight the complete truth. No matter what happened next, Goldilocks faced certain death.

Part of Roxy's core programming was the drive to sustain her own existence at nearly any cost. How could Goldilocks willingly accept her certain demise, especially on a hope as fleeting as altering the future. The weight of history becoming the future with all of its drives and events intact or at least partially realized was nearly unstoppable. Yet the woman had essentially thrown her life away for a microscopic chance to derail the future that had brought her to the past. For an artificial intelligence, it was unthinkable.

* * *

"I see you brought friends with you this time," the Crimson Queen remarked as her throne room was cleared of civilians. Crimson Jihad took up positions around the Titans. Scarlet Rose stood to the left of her sister's thrones to better block right handed assaults.

"Everyone take it easy," Deathstroke advised his own people as well as the Crimson Queen's.

"I don't think we're the ones needing that advice," Cheshire murmured.

"What's at play here?" Deathstroke asked, "I came peacefully and at your request."

"But I can't be seen as owing you for El-Fadil's return, Slade," Crimson Queen told him, "So I invited you here so I could make a demonstration of my neutrality."

"That doesn't work for me," Deathstroke replied.

"And what will you do? You can't kill me and you know it," Crimson Queen laughed.

"I always find a way if I'm properly motivated," Deathstroke promised her.

"Scimitar!" the Crimson Queen clapped her hands together.

As the mentioned agent moved, his psychokinetic sword formed between his hands and he came slashing down upon Cheshire. Before she could even move, Arsenal shoved her out of the way…at the cost of his own right arm.

Arsenal clutched at the stump, "Sonuvabitch!"

Crimson Queen clapped again but before Scimitar could move a pistol cracked and a bullet impacted Scimitar's forehead. The Crimson Jihad went on alert and so did the Titans.

"The first round was a rubber bullet. The only rubber bullet," Deathstroke holstered his sidearm, "From here on end, it gets very real."

"I've made my point, Slade," Crimson Queen declared.

Deathstroke could see the apology in Scarlet Rose's eyes for the position her sister had forced her into. Cheshire pulled the sash from her hips and bound Arsenal's wound, "We need to transport Roy before he bleeds to death."

"You have safe passage," Crimson Queen vouched, "As long as you take his arm with you."

"You've made a deadly mistake today," Deathstroke promised, "The Legion will turn on you and I'll make certain you have no recourse from anyone else."

"You'd wish that, wouldn't you?" Crimson Queen taunted.

Crimson Jihad followed the Titans back to their airfield. Scarlet Rose turned to her sister, "Please explain to me how that wasn't a sincere effort to slowly commit suicide."

"Let me explain a few facts to you, little sister," Crimson Queen offered.

* * *

Conner, Cassie, Celine, Miguel, Bart, Kiran, and Fairchild all drove to the hospital where Rachel Roth was recuperating and Gar Logan was watching over her. They were all better known as the Teen Titans. But even with such a gathering, not all of them were represented.

Jason Todd went…wherever he went when he wasn't being Red Hood. Miss Martian stepped out as M'gann M'orzz to become Megan Morse and caught several buses to get to Presidio Park. Megan liked coming to the park to observe human behavior. Especially now that she had taken J'onn Jonzz's advice and joined a human super team. She could fathom why J'onn was assisting the Legion but she had several guesses and they all frightened her.

Red Robin and Ravager were left all alone. Red Robin brought her to the main rec room, "Wait for me here."

She watched the news for a while and thought the endless political campaigning was utterly futile in the face of the Justice Leagues crisis. Red Robin returned as Beryl Hutchison, "Okay, your turn."

He tossed a backpack, "Here are a few things to choose from when you change."

Rose Wilson-Worth came back from his room, "And how exactly did you guess my sizes?"

"I pretty much eyeballed you in the tunnels beneath New York City," he admitted.

"Are you sure you want to be seen with me?" Rose smirked, "Even as a civilian I'm pretty noticeable."

"I'll risk it," Beryl assured her, "The garage is this way."

He tossed her a motorcycle helmet and grabbed his own. Mounting his bike, he waited for her to switch on the built-in radio mike and get behind him. As soon as she happily grabbed his waist, the motorcycle roared out of the garage and sped without hesitation out into traffic.

Rose warned him over the radio, _"You're the one riding bitch on the way back."_

"Fine, I'm cool with that," Beryl replied.

Rose held him even tighter. Every guy she'd tried to be with before him always wanted aggressive in bed and not on the street. Which usually ended badly. Rose had taken to paying professionals for recreational sex. Something Slade approved of.

Beryl let Rose take charge when she needed to. He was confident enough with himself to simply let her and then reassert himself when she floundered. Rose wondered if this was how love began. She had absolutely no basis for comparison.

* * *

Talon's current safe house was inside Gotham City limits. Calvin Rose eyeballed his unexpected guest, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you found me. But you're certain Nightwing willingly left Florida with Lincoln March?"

"Lincoln couldn't force Nightwing to go if he tried," Batman assured him, "He had to have gone voluntarily."

"I know the Court of Owls despises your influence in Gotham but why meet with Nightwing? He has less love for you than the Court itself," Talon commented.

"Nightwing is really Dick Grayson," Batman revealed.

"The potential recruit the Owls lost leading to my recruitment," Talon realized, "And he's obviously trained so he could become a serving Talon despite Aneesa's being in the post. And it would strike a blow against Bruce Wayne."

"She was defeated in combat," Batman reminded Calvin, "They may have lost faith in her."

"And Deathstroke and White Rabbit effectively demonstrated just how vulnerable the Owl nest in Gotham still is," Talon commented.

"Do you know where to find them?" Batman asked.

"They haven't dug new warrens," Talon assured him, "And even if they have, I can find him."

Batman rolled out a map, "Show me."

Talon pointed and Batman marked, "In ten hours I'll be routing the GCPD to each of these locations. Lincoln may have another agent in play but so do I. If they are in play when you come upon Nightwing, do not interfere with their withdrawal."

"And what will you be doing?" Talon pointedly asked.

"I'll be a very distinctive distraction," Batman explained, "I'm going to interrogate Two-Face and Penguin over where they've spent the last twenty-four hours. The Owls will be watching me and not looking for you."

* * *

ACME Trade Goods' warehouse held an Owl base beneath it. Part of it included an arena whereby condemned Owls were pitted against the standing Talon of that year. But before they reached that point they stood before the Court of Owls' tribunal. Nightwing had been brought here by Lincoln March. The Owl Matron served as Chief Justice while Lincoln made his case.

"Behold! The instrument of both Batman and Bruce Wayne's destruction!" Lincoln proudly proclaimed.

"I haven't agreed to anything yet," Nightwing advised him.

"Why does he speak?" the Owl Matron shrilly demanded to know.

"Because he has never known when to simply shut up," Helena Wayne stated as she entered the courtroom.

She greeted her father and smiled towards Nightwing, "Owl got your tongue, Grayson?"

"If you were expecting this to be a surprise, I think the connection is a little obvious. Your father practically drooled as he revealed he had a source inside of Spyral," Nightwing shared.

"So, did Uncle Bruce fund Batman before or after he practically adopted you?" Helena was obviously playing the role of prosecutor in this farce.

"Bruce traveled the world looking for a man that could become Batman. His taking me on was just a coincidence after Batman started his campaign, funded by Bruce," Nightwing gave the official line.

"And what do you think of the man that handed you over to Batman to be used as a weapon?" Helena spun sharply.

"I begged Bruce to let Batman train me," Nightwing told a distorted version of the truth, "Against his better judgment, he said 'yes'. Batman helped me avenge my parents' death rather than the other way around."

"Yet both of them have discarded you like a broken puppet," Helena sneered.

"They didn't leave me behind so much as I left them," Nightwing admitted.

"What if I offered you a better alternative?" Lincoln suddenly jumped in.

Now came the sales pitch Nightwing had come along to hear. Lincoln only gave Nightwing seconds to consider his words before continuing, "You were selected as a candidate to be trained as a Talon. Bruce Wayne and Batman interfered in that natural selection process. This is your opportunity to take your rightful place."

Nightwing spotted the slightest fidget from the serving Talon. Nightwing cast a scornful glance towards Lincoln, "Or you could go to hell and take your ever so charming daughter with you."

"I know Helena has spared little love for you but this is a prime opportunity. You could be our Talon of Talons to raise a new cadre to serve throughout the ages," Lincoln was really pitching it now, "And keep in mind 'no' is not an option."

Nightwing was ready to expose Helena, "Lead a triple life, Helena?"

"Yes, my first loyalty is to my father. Next I serve the Court of Owls without reservation. And my third loyalty is reserved for the honor of the other two," Helena proudly proclaimed.

"And Spyral is where in all of that?" Nightwing asked.

"Spyral, and especially Director Katherine Webb-Kane, is nothing but a collection of puppets that I use to further the Owls' global agenda," Helena boasted.

"Got all that?" Nightwing called out.

"You betcha," Agent Nancy Morgan called back.

Nightwing utilized a serious of acrobatic leaps to reach the scaffolding where Morgan had hidden herself. She was elated, "Oh. My. God. It's really you, Grayson. Penny wasn't lying. You really are an un-frickin'-believable superhero."

Morgan made a noise like she'd just had an orgasm. Breathlessly she motioned for him to follow her, "C'mon! This way!"

Morgan led Nightwing to a walkway to the arena, "There's an exit on the other side."

Owls appeared in the exit. Aneesa had caught up with them. Suddenly another owl themed person dropped out of seeming nowhere.

"And you are?" Nightwing skeptically asked.

"Talon. The only true Talon remaining," he declared.

"I think she has some issues with that approach," Nightwing nodded Aneesa's way.

Aneesa began swing her double bladed staff in her hands. Talon stood his ground, "Go! I'll deal with her."

"We need to make a hole, Morgan," Nightwing advised her.

Morgan chambered a round into her submachine gun, "Got it covered. Want to cover me? Now and maybe later?"

Nightwing was momentarily taken aback. He'd heard Morgan was forward and aggressive but he'd never been on her radar until now. He wanted to ask Penny just what the hell had she said anyway?

* * *

"Hello-o?" White Rabbit wandered into the underground laboratories beneath the Hall of Justice. A bright light cascaded out of a room out of sight. When White Rabbit reached it, she discovered that a network of mirrors brought sunlight down through vents and dispersed it across the lab Poison Ivy occupied.

"Over here," Ivy told her, lost amidst the hydroponics.

"You've been hidden away," White Rabbit accused.

"I've been manipulating my pollens," Ivy told her, "This latest generation puffball can knock up to a dozen people in a fifty foot radius."

"What kind of protection would our allies require?" White Rabbit held up an immature puff ball.

"A simple paper mask would provide adequate protection," Ivy explained.

"Any particular reason you've been hiding down here?" White Rabbit was curious.

"I had a little chat with Batman recently," Ivy looked philosophical, "He's always known Harley was still alive. He hasn't told anyone else. And he offered to trade me a personal amnesty if I did this project. Once the world gets back to normal, I can move to Jersey Shore and be with Harley."

Ivy was positively radiant. In fact, White Rabbit had never seen her so happy. It made her want to scream.

"That's…uh…great," White Rabbit lamely added. Ivy didn't even notice.

Jaina and White Rabbit had built all of their plans around certainties that no longer applied. Batman knew their secret. Vandal Savage was incarcerated. Nyssa no longer controlled the League of Assassins. A lifetime of schemes had been destroyed in a matter of months. Where would they go from here?

* * *

Talia al Ghul had put the Injusticers into service. The Injustice Rogues helped reconstruct Nanda Parbat's breached walls. The Injustice League found and dealt with deserters and their entire families. The Injustice Titans were all over the world, flitting from here to there informing Talia's minions in the Leagues of Shadows and Assassins that their mistress had need of them.

"It was foolish to keep Luthor El-Fadil in the first place," Nyssa al Ghul chided Talia, "The Crimson Queen isn't as deluded by ego as Lex Luthor. It was inevitable that she would learn the truth and take measures."

Nyssa could see her father's mind behind Talia's flashing eyes, "Still, Deathstroke must be taken to task for this. I've tolerated his independence for far too long."

"Fath…sister, tread lightly. Deathstroke is not a man to enrage lightly. He purposefully forgoes interfering in most of your operations. Do you want to make it his mission to destroy you?" Nyssa asked.

"I am the Demon's Head. I cannot be destroyed. Or was Talia's sacrifice not proof enough for you?" Talia asked sharply, "Is this why I gave you my name and made you my Demon's Hand? So you can cower from my enemies?"

"Deathstroke isn't an enemy," Nyssa grated, "He simply needed leverage over the Crimson Queen. Obviously El-Fadil was the pressure point he used."

"You know his plans?" Talia was startled.

"We are allied against the Legion of Doom," Nyssa explained.

"You are allied with my enemy against my allies?" Talia raged.

"As ever, I serve the true needs of the League of Shadows," Nyssa allowed.

"Your gross misinterpretation of those same needs," Talia spat.

"Your chosen goals spit in the face of thousands of years of tradition. The League of Shadows balances the powers of civilizations not the environment," Nyssa lectured her father's mind in her sister's body.

"And I say they are the same!" Talia snarled, "I take my name from you, you ungrateful cur. Leave now while I will still let you. I will find a true heir to be my Demon's Hand. Not you! Never you!"

Nyssa gathered her force, "We're leaving now."

"I take things went less than smoothly," David Cain observed.

"I am Nyssa al Ghul no longer. I am Nyssa Raatko for now and forever more," Nyssa explained, "And if you follow me, you will defy the League of Assassins and be considered beneath their contempt."

"Who the hell needs them anyway?" Wrath asked.

"Thank you, we must warn Deathstroke. The full might of the League of Assassins will soon be thrown at him," Nyssa warned.

"So let it," Syonide shuddered.

"We do not betray one allegiance to succor another, no matter what Talia might think of us," Nyssa chided her, "But first, we must collect Dark Archer. For he is the key to restoring Merlyn to our good graces."

"But our long term goal is still…?" Blacksmith began to ask.

"It is the same," Nyssa allowed, "And it is unaltered."

"Then we're with you," Blacksmith cheered.

The Injusticers followed Nyssa to the nearest teleport capable site.

* * *

"So that's Vibe's situation," Amanda Waller explained to Steve Trevor and Sue Dibney, "No one knows if Reverb has made, or is even capable of making, a similar discovery."

"As long as we're recruiting, I have someone else in mind," Trevor handed Waller an iPad.

"You can't be serious," Waller protested.

"I need a lieutenant. And Starling isn't qualified anymore because of her years undercover and her newly rekindled relationship with Bat-Girl. Elizabeth is a distraction as well as a strength. Until Eve balances her personal life with her professional one she's nearly a liability," Trevor stated.

"Is this person even real?" Waller wanted to know, "My niece reads his comic book."

"Gardner assured me he's very real," Trevor told her.

"Are we talking _Guy_ Gardner?" Waller was incredulous.

"Guy may be a misanthropic Neanderthal with sloppy impulse control but he isn't a liar," Sue threw in, "At least not as far as we can prove."

"Okay, give me details," Waller sighed.

"PFC Joe Jones was in Anzio when the retreating _Waffen SS_ used an experimental nerve agent. While the rest of Jones' platoon died a horrific death, he was sheltered. His official statements later claimed he was approached by the Spirit of Lady Liberty herself whereby she had him recite a stanza from a tablet she held and he transformed," Trevor explained, "Jones went to his commanding officers and they bumped him up through the ranks until he met with FDR himself. The two struck up a friendship and Jones was utilized as a masked agent in theaters the Freedom Fighters weren't in and until the war ended he never operated domestically since the Justice Society and All Star Squadron were held off from the European and Asian fronts so they stayed behind to battle insurgents and fifth columnists."

"But really? General Glory? I think I'm going to be sick," Waller complained.

"My grandfather fought beside General Glory in Europe," Trevor confided, "He wasn't certain of his past but he said General Glory was the bravest man he'd ever fought beside. I don't consider my grandfather a liar."

"And the comic book?" Waller still looked pained.

"Army Counterintelligence came up with that," Trevor told her, "No one would ever believe General Glory was real if he was a comic book character."

"I don't want to believe he's real," Waller snorted, "Where's he been all these years? He'd have to be a hundred years old."

"Last year, Joe Jones turned ninety-five. And then he died of congestive heart failure," Trevor divulged.

"You want to recruit a corpse?" Waller erupted.

"Jones was put in a hospital room he shared with a wounded police officer named Donovan Wallace. Wallace had been made a quadriplegic in a shootout between rival gangs. He saved the lives of six children in the line of duty that day," Trevor stated, "Wallace and Jones shared the room for three days before Jones died."

"Is there a point to any of this?" Waller wondered.

"The day Jones died, Wallace disappeared without a trace," Trevor told her, "He couldn't move a single muscle below his neck so how did he walk out of a hospital?"

"I suppose you have a theory," Waller said snidely.

"Two hours after Wallace's disappearance, a tip brought police to a location where an entire gang had been subdued and were clamoring to confess to the shootout that crippled Wallace. They described their attacker as being General Glory," Trevor revealed, "And similar reports have been coming in from Cleveland for a year now."

"These are all classified military files?" Waller looked at them with a fresh eye.

"Yes, they're under a one hundred year seal. They go public in less than twenty-five years. I want the seal extended," Trevor requested.

"Why bother?" Waller wondered.

"Because it took Sue five minutes to connect Wallace to Jones," Trevor informed her, "And Wallace has family still living in Cleveland."

"No one would take this seriously," Waller protested.

"Mercy Grave had access to the files and took them seriously enough to try and recruit General Glory to lead Infinity, Inc," Trevor admitted.

"So what makes you think Wallace is a decent recruit?" Waller asked.

"Look up his service record. He has commendation ringing out his ears," Trevor insisted, "That's a man I want to serve with."

"You can't think this is serious," Waller asked Sue.

"I think Steve's right. We need Wallace and not just because he's become General Glory," Sue told her.

" _Et tu_ , Susan?" Waller sighed.

"Don't ask for an opinion if you aren't ready to hear it," Sue remarked.

"All right, I give you my pending approval contingent upon meeting General Glory," Waller decided, "But you'd probably just send people after him anyway."

"Actually I did that before asking for this meeting," Trevor confessed.

As he and Sue retreated, Maven smirked at the language being hurled about, "She's in a mood."

"It actually went better than I expected," Sue admitted.

* * *

"Okay, you can put me down now," Trajectory insisted now that she and Guy were in Cleveland's city limits.

"You sure, honey? We gotta lotta ground ta cover. I wouldn't want ya wearin' yerself out before the main event later tonight," Guy tried to sound caring.

"Um…ground. Now," Trajectory felt like putting on bug repellant.

"Okay, don't get yer panties inna twist," Guy grated.

He lowered the construct carrying Trajectory to the ground. She was gone in a literal flash. She even charged the air with her passage like Wally West and Jay Garrick.

"Cripes, she is fast," Guy realized, "What'tcha know?"

Guy went higher and used his ring to track Trajectory. She was attempting to run a grid search from Lake Erie to the Cuyahoga River and everywhere in between. Finally she stopped near the port district on Lake Erie.

" _Gardner? Can you home in on my location? `Cause there's something here you need to see,"_ Trajectory radioed him over his ear piece.

Guy flew to her present location in just under a few minutes and he found her hiding behind the corner of a building. He began to guffaw, "What's wrong, babe? Need a little privacy so we can… _hmph_!"

Guy would have gone on but Trajectory had clamped a hand over his mouth, "Shut up. You'll scare them off."

"Scare who off? Ya useless broad." Guy slapped her hand away. It returned faster than he could even breathe.

"You said General Glory spends his time hunting down gang bangers and organized crime. Down this side street we have a meeting between both," Trajectory reminded him of his own words, "The mobsters look like Intergang. But they're supposed to be based out of Metropolis, right?"

Guy shoved her hand away again but this time he whispered, "Well, toots. Just so's ya know, Intergang has gone global. They've teamed up with the local costra nostra in every city they operate in. Intergang's got the manpower and the talent ta give the old timers a real revival."

"Sue said you were a former cop," Trajectory finally felta little respect towards Guy.

"Baltimore PD, babe. Love `em or just hump `em," Guy bragged.

"I liked it better when you didn't talk," Trajectory scowled, "So do you remember describing General Glory's activities that way or not?"

"I say a lotta things, cuddles," Guy was insufferably pleased with his lack of recollection.

"Yeah, I've noticed," Trajectory complained.

"Aw, we still got all night ta get down and dirty," Guy leered at her.

"You actually went out with Ice?" Trajectory wondered.

Guy darkened, "It wuz one date."

"I couldn't imagine there being a second," Trajectory admitted.

"Look, ya little…" Guy started to hiss.

Trajectory's hand clamped over his mouth again as a bird-like shadow passed over them, "He's here."

"Ain't nobody here, ya dumb…" Guy's ring pulsed twice, "I'll be damned. He is here. What're these yahoos even dealin' with here?"

"Intergang seems to be selling the gang members drugs and guns," Trajectory pointed out, "I thought that would make perfect bait for your friend. I'm glad I was right."

"Uh…this General Glory ain't as much my friend as the old General Glory wuz," Guy confessed.

Trajectory barely had time to register that comment before she blurted, "Does anyone like you?"

"Before the General died he gave me his dog, Wonder Pup," Guy looked hurt.

"And the dog actually likes you?" Trajectory couldn't bring herself to believe it.

"Hey, most dogs like me," Guy was defensive now.

Trajectory had to admit Guy thought like a rutting dog so it made sense, "And you met Donovan Wallace before he became the new General Glory?"

"An' once afterwards," Guy asserted.

"Shh!" Trajectory looked around the corner as a booming voice called down to the crooks, "Gentlemen, drop your weapons, put your hands on your heads, and back away slowly."

"Awl right! We finally get ta bust some heads!" Guy enthused.

"Ease off the throttle, cowboy. We're here to observe and we only intervene after seeing General Glory in action," Trajectory reminded him.

"Aw, yer a wus just like Trevor," Guy complained.

Trajectory's heart skipped a beat as a very patriotically themed person leapt down from the rooftops. His golden shoulder epaulets grew into wings to slow his descent. But when General Glory landed, he spun into action. His acrobatic agility combined with pure physical strength knocked criminals senseless before they even realized they were under attack.

General Glory seemed to strike from all sides at once, confusing the gang bangers to the point they opened fire on each other. General Glory then concentrated on Intergang. Intergang's enforcers mowed down the surviving gang bangers. General Glory relentlessly pummeled them into oblivion despite their helmets and body armor.

It wasn't until General Glory leapt atop Intergang's delivery truck that things seemed soured for him. Intergang's last four gunmen surrounded the truck. General Glory watched them expectantly.

The armed and angry enforcers were prepared to kill General Glory so Trajectory burst into action. She took out two of the gunmen before they even realized she was approaching. Guy flattened a third with a yellow brick and General Glory dealt with the fourth panicking gunman.

"Thank you, ma'am. I had to see what you'd do and you didn't disappoint," General Glory told her.

"That bit on the truck was a setup?" Trajectory was nonplussed.

"I had two strangely dressed potential perps sitting on the sidelines. You'll forgive me if I doubted your intentions," General Glory stated, "Gardner, I'm surprised you bothered coming."

"Har, har! Ya still upset `bout last time?" Guy guffawed.

"You crippled a man. He'll never walk again because of you," General Glory thought it was like debating with a rhesus monkey.

"Yer just pissed `cause yer a cripple too. If the General Glory hadn't asked the Spirit of Lady Liberty ta let ya take over, ya'd still be lyin' in bed cryin' ta yer mama," Guy predicted. Guy suddenly looked remorseful, "I didn't mean that."

"Yes, you did," General Glory said coldly.

"General, could I have a private word with you?" Trajectory shot Guy an angry glare.

"Yeesh! I know when I ain't wanted," Guy flew off.

"Not usually you don't," Trajectory murmured, "General Glory, I've been asked by a federal agency to recruit you to the Justice League of America."

"I've watched the news, miss. I've never seen you with them," General Glory informed her.

"Sgt. Wallace, my understanding is I haven't even met every member of the JLA yet. But we're facing a crisis and we need your help," Trajectory explained the situation to him, "With your help, I know we can beat them."

"I'm not sure…" General Glory hedged.

"I just joined the JLA so I don't know why they sent me but I do realize it's a chance to make a difference in this world on a global scale. Can you really afford to skip the opportunity of a lifetime?" Trajectory asked.

General Glory's eyes went blank for a second then he snapped out of it, "I guess not. And I guess we just discovered why they sent you. I'll talk to your people."

"Awl right!" Guy whooped as he landed, "If ya will just step inta the carriage we'll be off ta Brooklyn."

"Do you always listen in on private conversations?" Trajectory asked.

"Every luvvin' chance I get," Guy promised her.

"Great," Trajectory muttered. But at least she'd get to talk more with General Glory on the flight to New York.

* * *

"Steve, White Rabbit informed me her Legion contact reports Luthor went to Apokolips in the company of three Female Furies," Sue reported, "The other seven escorted Big Barda back to Granny Goodness."

"There will be hell to pay once Barda learns Scott is dead," Trevor grimly predicted.

"White Rabbit also reported that Calendar Man won't be giving her any more updates," Sue regretted to say.

"At least we persuaded Lady Chronos to assist Claire Connelly," Trevor sought a bright spot.

"Mary Marvel showed up looking for Black Adam and Isis. She's dressed like Black Adam and calling herself Black Mary now. Considering she's a Black Marvel now it shouldn't be a surprise Black Adam and Isis wanted to talk with her. They left almost an hour ago and took Osiris with them," Sue informed him.

"Which means they're not coming back any time soon," Trevor groaned.

"That little conclave of JLers you've had me monitoring have recruited Kalea and Wonder Woman into their plans," Sue told him, "Do you want me to bring them in?"

"No, let them make their plans," Trevor instructed, "And then we'll determine whether or not they're viable. And they're going to be missing Black Adam and Isis for the duration anyway."

"At least Trajectory persuaded General Glory to come here despite Guy's presence," Sue pointed out, "And the fact he neglected to mention the bad blood between him and the current General Glory."

"Is there anyone on the planet Guy doesn't have bad blood with?" Trevor had to wonder.

"Wonder Pup," Sue got an incredulous look from Trevor over that, "The old General Glory's bulldog."

"That's a stretch," Trevor riposted her.

"Give me a break. I'm groping here," Sue complained.

"And there's still no word on Supergirl or White Lantern?" Trevor asked miserably.

"I suppose you could ask Kalea," Sue thought about it, "After all, Almerac has been spying on us for over a decade now."

"Good idea," Trevor decided to glean the good from the situation.

* * *

"I thought you wanted me out of your computer systems," Kalea smirked upon hearing their request.

"One computer network, that's it. You don't need to infiltrate every computer on the planet again," Trevor clarified.

"Would you even realize it if I violated your instructions?" Kalea asked.

Trevor looked over at Sue and she shook her head. Trevor looked back at Kalea, "We're simply trusting you."

"Then I guess I will have to live up to your expectations," Kalea decided, "First I require imagery to base a comparison on."

Sue called up file photos of Supergirl and Kyle Rayner when he was still a Green Lantern. Kalea's breath caught in her chest, "She wears the signet of the House of El."

"The 'S' is a family emblem?" Sue was startled by that revelation.

"The glyph means 'hope' in Kryptonian," Kalea explained, "It is been the representation of the House of El for a thousand years. Yet Kara In-Ze is not of my house."

"Superman formally adopted her when he recovered her from Argo," Power Girl explained from the doorway, "It seemed a pointless formality yet it carried great emotional weight with them."

Galatea didn't bother explaining she'd been left out of the arrangement. Kalea understood that meaning though, "And I thought she was just a make believe cousin."

"Can we focus?" Trevor asked.

"The search is purely automated now," Kalea pointed at the tablet she held, "When a comparable image appears, it will be displayed beside your file photos. If you want I can even look for naked photos of you, Col. Trevor."

"Do you take any form of authority seriously?" Trevor asked.

"I serve my empress," Kalea said solemnly.

"But she's also your mother," Sue pointed out.

"Biologically but not legally," Kalea reminded them, "By her own edict. I have greater legal ties to my father, who I barely know, on a world that would happily kill me."

"You don't sound bitter," Trevor realized.

"I created my own situation. So who else can I blame?" Kalea asked, "All I can do is offer service in the hopes it will be rewarded. But there is an equal chance it won't be."

"Why wouldn't it be?" Sue wondered.

"My mother is preparing to take Warlord Ultraa as her consort even though she hasn't quite reconciled herself to it yet," Kalea explained, "Their children will be full blooded Almeracian nobility thereby negating any claims I could possibly have to the throne. Ultraa himself would supersede my ties to the throne even though he may have lingering doubts regarding my intentions. The nobility have proud traditions regarding the elimination of rivals. Yet Ultraa can't beat me in open combat. So he might seek stealthier means of securing Maxima's throne for himself."

"Have you told your mother about this?" Trevor wondered.

"In a manner of speaking. I encouraged her to marry Ultraa," Kalea told them, "This way I can flush him out."

Kalea's computer began pinging, "I believe I have a match."

She pulled up an image of a Red Lantern, a Star Sapphire, and a White Lantern, "You should have told me Kara had been chosen by a red power ring and that Rayner was now a White Lantern. I don't know who the Star Sapphire is."

"Her name is Fatality," Power Girl broke her silence. She'd once been a Star Sapphire as well, "And Kara didn't tell me she'd become a Red Lantern."

Kalea could hear the hurt in Galatea's voice, "This image was taken four of your weeks ago. She might not have had time to inform anyone of her change of status. They haven't returned to this solar system which could mean there's a greater crisis out there in the universe we don't know anything about."

Kalea had briefly spoken with Power Girl. She knew Power Girl felt confident she could kill Superman or Ultraman if she had to. But she preferred not having to.

Blackhawk found Galatea, "Tea, Speedy and Artemis are having an archery contest down in the training level. Afterwards Starling has challenged Vigilante to a shooting match."

Vigilante and Vixen had recently returned from traveling across US military repositories gathering kryptonite shards. They came back with nearly two pounds of fragments. The kryptonite was being stored in a lead lined safe in the operations center.

"May I ask what you have in the safe, Colonel?" Kalea wondered.

"Nearly two pounds of kryptonite," Trevor readily answered.

"Would you like more?" Kalea asked.

"Of course we would," Sue answered.

"Galatea, I suggest you go watch the contests," Kalea advised her.

They both left but Kalea returned with a twenty pound bag filled with kryptonite. Sue saw the strain in Kalea's face, "This still affects you, doesn't it?"

"I am still half-Kryptonian. It doesn't incapacitate me but it is painful to be around and prolonged exposure would eventually be lethal," Kalea explained.

"Where did you get this much?" Trevor was terrified and delighted all at once.

"The one you call Cosmic King transmuted several stones into kryptonite. Diana kept two and I took the rest," Kalea explained, "And before you ask, Alexandra should have the same reaction to it that I do. So I doubt they're lining her bed chamber with it."

"What do we do with it?" Sue asked.

"I can assist your weapons smiths in making bladed hand weapons out of it," Kalea offered, "My people have kept abreast of Krypton's history and the threat Kryptonians pose."

"Superman and Supergirl are the last Kryptonians," Trevor argued.

"Hardly," Kalea snorted, "Where do you think the Daxamites came from? Five thousand years ago they were Kryptonian colonists but the planet Daxam changed them on a genetic level and they developed their deadly allergy to lead as well as became corrupted in the eyes of pure Kryptonians. But it saved the Daxamites lives. But they've got a xenophobic undertone that laces their entire culture. It'll only get worse in time."

"Then there's New Krypton," Kalea informed them, "The colony of Kandor outlived Krypton's destruction and they've been settled on an icy world that orbits a yellow sun. They may not have interstellar flight capacity anymore but they will and each citizen is as powerful as Superman. There's been no contact with the colony over the last five thousand years but it was settled when Krypton was militant and aggressively expanding their empire. Kandor has nine hundred million residents and the population is swelling. How long will it be before they settle a colony on another world? And then another and another after that?"

"And what separates Krypton from Almerac?" Trevor challenged Kalea.

"Almerac and Krypton both conquer. But Krypton has traditionally been xenophobic and enslaved races to work them into extinction," Kalea described the differences, "Almerac takes slaves but we guarantee they have basic rights and can address grievances against their masters. Subjects have further rights and can own property and businesses. Citizens can own all of the above, including slaves. The nobles alone can own worlds."

Kalea went on, "Imperial governors oversee economic relations and imperial law over each subject world. But subject worlds are autonomous and local governments are derived strictly by local traditions and standards. Representatives from every world now sit on a legislative council and every class in the realm has seats."

"It sounds very Roman," Sue admitted, "With improvements."

"I studied your Romans and I used them as a template for Marcus' reforms," Kalea admitted.

"I thought you didn't like humans," Trevor accused.

"I specifically said humans weren't my favorite people. But I can find admirable qualities about my worst enemy as well as my friends," Kalea corrected him.

"And where do we fit in?" Sue wondered.

"Today humanity is my friend," Kalea offered.

"Anybody in this farkin' joint?" Guy could be heard bellowing from the foyer.

"Excuse us," Trevor said as he and Sue met with Trajectory, General Glory, and Guy, "General, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Col. Steve Trevor, the JLA field commander. This is Sue Dibney, our Chief of Operations."

"I'll be candid, Col. Trevor. Trajectory has made a case for joining forces with you. But I want to see the nuts and bolts and to see why you'd let someone like Gardner join your force," General Glory shared.

Sue exchanged a painful look with Trevor already knowing Waller's own opinion, "If you could follow us."

"I'll see you afterward," Trajectory promised.

"Well, look-ee here! If it ain't the bionic babe!" Guy leered over Kalea.

"Go away, Gardner. I'm not in the mood for your repulsive juvenile antics," Kalea warned him.

"Ya aren't goin' ta be sayin' that when I rip that armor offa ya and drag yer panties off with my teeth," Guy boasted, "Then I'll take my tongue and… _urk_!"

For the second time in recent history, Guy was knocked out with a single punch. Kalea hoped he could somehow hear her still, "Next time, I cave your skull in."

Trajectory sidled up to Kalea, "I don't think we've properly met…"

General Glory wore an appreciative smile, "Is she a member?"

"No, but she's proving to be very useful," Trevor assured him, "But we have other members just like her."

"Tell me more," General Glory asked in a much friendlier tone.


	22. Chapter 22

23

Having arrived at Granny Goodness' orphanage on Apokolips, Bernadeth led the Female Furies under her charge in presenting their former leader, Big Barda, to Granny as a prize. But Bernadeth ignored the fact she hadn't led Barda's capture. And the Female Furies certainly hadn't done the capturing. Barda had been taken into captivity by the Legion of Doom, the Female Furies' sometime ally.

Granny was well aware of these facts. But she wanted to see just how Bernadeth would present them. As it was, Bernadeth was making a grand procession out of things.

"Granny Goodness! I present our prize!" Bernadeth loudly proclaimed.

Mad Harriet, Stompa, Malice Vundabar, Bloody Mary, Wunda, and Speed Queen all knew Bernadeth really meant _her_ prize but they were holding on to her coattails. Malice's Chessure held Barda captive between its jaws. Without the shadow demon, they wouldn't have even been able to hold Barda long enough to transfer her from the Hall of Doom to Apokolips.

"Really, my ducklings? Is this your very own gift to dear, old Granny?" she purred, "Because Lex Luthor contacted me three Earth days ago and informed me our naughty Barda had been captured by the Legion of Doom. So I have to wonder just how you acquired your succulent prize. Was it a fierce battle? Was it a titanic struggle? Was it a tremendous victory?"

"All of the above!" Bernadeth tried to salvage a ship going down in flames, "We captured the vile traitor as she escaped from Luthor's custody."

"Leading Barda out of a cell into Chessure's jaws is hardly a struggle," Granny said coldly, "Why do you lie to your tired, old Granny?"

Bernadeth put together who had fed Granny the truth, "Lashina lied! We fought and struggled while she hid. Now she lies to you to spoil my victory!"

"Your victory?" Granny sneered, "Should we have Chessure release Barda so you can demonstrate how you achieved victory over her?"

"Uh…uh…whatever is Granny's pleasure," Bernadeth looked near panic.

Granny shot Bernadeth with an electro lance. Bernadeth screamed until she couldn't scream anymore. Granny relented but she wore a cruel smile.

"Haven't I always taught you to be honest with your kind, loving Granny?" she cooed, "Malice! Have your pet release Barda! Now!"

Malice whimpered before giving the command, "Let her go, Chessy."

Barda landed in a crouch as Chessure dropped her. The shadow demon moved away to shelter Malice from her. Barda studied her chances of escaping and came to her conclusion.

"Now, now," Granny tried to sound reasonable, "There's nothing for you to go back to. Scott Free is dead."

"You're lying," Barda growled.

"Kal-El himself contacted the great Darkseid and informed him of the death of Highfather's son," Granny informed her, "He died on that miserable Themiscyra the Amazons stand watch over. I'm as devastated as you, my precious. I always hoped my boy would come back to me."

Barda's fist smashed Granny's nose before she spun a round kick into Stompa's head. Then she drove her knee into Stompa's gut before finishing her off with a right cross. Mad Harriett pounced but Barda caught her in the air and flipped her over. The concrete cracked under Mad Harriet's landing.

Barda punched Speed Queen as she raced towards her. Bernadeth whimpered, "Please…"

Barda pulled Bernadeth's Feron blades from their sheathes and impaled Desaad's sister's hands. Wunda shrank back from Barda and let her pass. Bloody Mary tried to intervene but Barda smashed her face into a wall so hard it cracked the stonework. Only Malice and Chessure stood in Barda's path.

Malice stepped aside as Barda retrieved one of many boom tube controllers. Chessure stood guard over Malice as Barda created a boom tube and vanished into it. Bernadeth shivered from fright as Granny loomed over her.

"Well my pet, it seems you have a failure to account for," Granny angrily told her as she activated the electro lance.

"No! It wasn't just me!" Bernadeth pleaded, remembering how Desaad tortured her in her youth.

"She was _your_ prize wasn't she? Your great triumph? Where is she now? After striking my face?" Granny raged as she prodded Bernadeth with the lance. Bernadeth found she could still scream until she eventually passed out. Then Granny simply left her where she fell, with her hands still pinned to the floor.

Throughout the disciplinary session, Stompa, Mad Harriet, and Bloody Mary all took grim satisfaction in recompense for their injuries. Wunda worried that she might be next. Malice looked as demented as ever as she stroked Chessure as it fed off of Bernadeth's misery.

* * *

"Here it is," Lashina informed Lex Luthor as she opened up the laboratory, "Desaad is overseeing the creation of a cult worshiping Darkseid on Daxam. Meanwhile, he's abandoned this facility and even Dev Em as he lies dying."

Lashina went straight to the medical bay and checked on Supreme. He felt her touch and groggily came awake, "You're back."

Lashina's heart broke at those words. How long had he lain here, flitting in and out of consciousness, never knowing if someone would share his final moments with him? Lashina had never known love throughout her life, and even the BDSM laced version she shared with Supreme was enough to confuse her.

"Do something," Lashina grated at Luthor when he joined them. Gilotina and Artemiz could tell Lashina was on the verge of unspeakable violence.

Luthor studied the monitor readings, "Only Darkseid could resurrect him now."

"You said…!" Lashina snarled.

"I said I could cure him if the poisoning hadn't reached past a certain point," Luthor clarified for her again, "It has. He's terminal. It's a great loss. He was a valuable asset."

"He was more of a man than you'll ever be!" Lashina lunged at Luthor but Gilotina and Artemiz held her back.

"Lashina…" Supreme mumbled.

"I'm here, Dev Em," Lashina desperately clutched at his hand.

"It's okay. I've served the Master well," Supreme assured her, "It's a good death. And you made it a good life."

His eyes closed for the last time and his chest eventually stopped rising and falling. He lost all color as the lead poisoning toxified the last of his blood. Lashina recoiled.

"Serve the Master," she spat, "When have we ever done anything else? Well, I'm through."

She stormed out of the lab. Artemiz dispatched Unus, Secundus, and Tertius to watch over her. They returned moments later and telepathically reported to their mistress.

"Lashina used a boom tube to return to Earth," Artemiz told them, "The cyber pack couldn't ascertain where she went to though."

"Who cares?" Luthor chuckled, "Now on to the real work."

He found Gilotina's swords in an "X" around his throat, "Give me a reason to keep you alive."

"Because Darkseid wants me alive," Luthor said with confidence, "Even as fast as you are, I can use the Anti-Life Equation to kill you before you strike me down. Then I'll simply kill Darkseid. You do remember what happened here on Apokolips the last time he died?"

The Female Furies remembered all too well. Granny Goodness had allied with Vermin Vundabar against Steppenwolf's forces which included Desaad and Bernadeth. It had been a stupid waste of resources that had weakened the entire planet against Brainiac's assault.

"The Master also wants you to be a faithful ally," Artemiz reminded him, "Are you one?"

"Sometimes allies have to be proactive in anticipating an ally's needs before he, she, or it, even realize there is a need," Luthor chuckled.

Artemiz drew and fired an arrow faster than Luthor could track. The arrowhead clipped his right ear lobe and he hissed in pain. Artemiz was totally unrepentant.

"I anticipated your need of a reminder to be faithful," she told him.

"Heh, so you did," Luthor chuckled, "Now, can we dispense with the swords?"

"Why do you want to be here?" Gilotina didn't budge despite Luthor's earlier threats.

"Desaad has worked out a universal detoxifier," Luthor explained, "A…colleague of mine called the Scarecrow has been developing a blend of his fear toxin with Venom. You recall Venom? Used by Bane, a brawny fellow with a low threshold for anything?"

"You said a universal detoxifier," Artemiz reminded him, "Could it have cured Supreme's lead poisoning?"

Luthor's smile broadened, "Yes, it could have."

"Desaad could have cured Dev Em any time he wanted?" Gilotina stepped back from Luthor, not trusting herself not to lop his head off.

"Yes, he could have," Luthor gladly shared, "And I could have as well."

"Then why didn't you?" Artemiz asked a very low, threatening voice.

Luthor wasn't certain he could trigger the Anti-Life Equation before she could fire an arrow at him, "Because Darkseid forbade us to."

"The Master commanded that Supreme die?" Gilotina was disappointed.

"And I followed along as a faithful ally," Luthor admitted.

Artemiz was tempted to use him as a pin cushion for twisting her words back at her, "Then why lie to Lashina?"

"Because all of this was a test of her loyalties," Luthor divulged, "My serum protecting Supreme from his lead poisoning didn't fail. Darkseid neutralized it in his system. Then he contacted me and had me establish this ruse. All of this to test Lashina's loyalty and faith."

"Faith?" Gilotina struggled with that concept.

"On Apokolips, Darkseid is the god above all New Gods. He wanted to know if Lashina would follow him no matter what," Luthor explained.

"And Lashina has obviously failed the test," Artemiz said sadly.

"Wouldn't this Scarecrow have developed his own cure?" Gilotina went back to the topic.

"Scarecrow doesn't think in terms of cures," Luthor said blandly.

The cyber wolves whined. Artemiz turned off the lights, "Precious is roaming the halls. She's become impossible since Kal-El impregnated her."

"Superman impregnated a New God?" Luthor was intrigued.

"Kal-El of Earth-2 did the honors," Gilotina explained, "But your Superman impregnated Mala over a dozen times. The Master received a dozen fertilized embryos and Mala carried triplets. Which multiple births amongst Kryptonians are quite rare. She may even survive birthing them given her durability."

"Wouldn't you mean 'were quite rare'? There are no Kryptonians besides Superman, Supergirl, the clone calling herself Power Girl, and Jax-Ur and Mala," Luthor narrowed the list down.

"Jax-Ur is dead," Artemiz revealed, "And there is one last Kryptonian colony. Kandor is the city-state of New Krypton."

"Why didn't your Master hurl the Kryptonians at Earth instead of the Daxamites?" Luthor wondered.

"The Daxamites are weak and easily controlled," Gilotina explained, "The Kryptonians are still a martial race despite having been out of contact with the home world for over a thousand years. They never knew their people largely lost the will to fight and conquer. That they'd lost an empire. Kandor still remembers the glories of campaigns gone past. They're building a fleet in secret and then they will rain destruction down upon old enemies."

"Like whom?" Luthor was curious.

"Almerac," Artemiz happily told him, "Unless Ultraa can convince Maxima to kneel to Darkseid."

"I wish him luck," Luthor chuckled, "I understand Maxima can be as stubborn as Wonder Woman. Probably the attraction both have for Superman."

The cyber wolves whimpered again. Artemiz turned to Luthor, "Precious has left the building. We can leave undetected now."

"Take me away. I'm yours," he smugly smirked.

Gilotina was tempted to draw her sword and behead him before he could turn around. Artemiz shook her head and Gilotina subsided. Once they got outside the Palace of Pain, Artemiz kept watch for overhead parademon patrols while Gilotina used her controller to prepare a boom tube.

"Your base is no longer where it was," Gilotina advised Luthor.

"What?" he was outraged.

"It's now in orbit over your planet," she happily informed him upon seeing it upset him.

"Input these coordinates," Luthor recited spatial parameters.

"Hurry, a patrol is heading this way," Artemiz warned them.

Gilotina created the boom tube, "And we're away."

But Darkseid had observed everything with his scrying window. He summoned Steppenwolf. It was time to inform his general of his plans for Lashina and Supreme.

* * *

Underneath the ACME warehouse, Spyral Agent Nancy Morgan exchanged gunfire with assorted Owls. Nightwing had headed into the overhead catwalks to drop in behind the Owls. He disarmed and beat them senseless. Morgan felt another near orgasm coming on.

"This way!" Nightwing insisted, "It's clear up ahead."

"What about him?" Morgan looked back at where Talon fought Aneesa.

"I think he has his own exit planned," Nightwing guessed.

As Morgan and Nightwing made their way to the surface, Talon withdrew from the fight with Aneesa. His retreat would put her back in the Court of Owls' good graces. Talon felt more comfortable facing a fellow Talon that he knew he could beat.

Morgan led Nightwing through the maze of warehouses and shipping containers that faced Gotham's Hudson River ports. And they happened upon a nondescript minivan. She grinned as she unlocked it.

"Company car. Get in," Morgan waited as Nightwing hesitated, "You got a better exit strategy, Mr. Hot Pants?"

"No, I'm just not sure getting in with you is safe," he admitted.

"Would you prefer to drive?" Morgan dangled the keys.

"I think I prefer you keeping your hands busy," Nightwing relented as he got in.

"I can multitask," Morgan warned him as she got in and started the engine.

"Just get us out of here," Nightwing requested.

"Any destination in mind?" Morgan asked, "I'm thinking a Club Med."

"I'm thinking the Hall of Justice," Nightwing threw cold water on Morgan's visions of unrestrained hedonism.

"We could still play hooky for a couple of hours," Morgan suggested, "Or even the rest of the night."

"Look, I'm really flattered but I'm spoken for," Nightwing tried to be gentle about it.

"Yeah, the guppy girlfriend," Morgan said flippantly, "Haven't you ever wanted to be with a real woman?"

Nightwing smashed the forward console just to the right of the steering wheel, "I don't know what kind of relationships you're used to, but this isn't the start of one I want to be in."

Morgan was actually afraid, "S…sure. N…no problem."

Morgan knew the door had been firmly slammed in her face intended to leave a bloody nose, "I didn't realize how committed you were to your relationship. With you both working for the United Nations but on separate continents I just assumed your relationship was a little more open than it is."

"Since I'm out of Spyral, Ulla is leaving the Justice League International and we're settling down in Bludhaven," Nightwing revealed.

"How settled are we talking?" Morgan saw a small ray of hope.

"I asked her to marry me and she said 'yes'," Nightwing shared.

And Morgan's door swung shut again, "I had no clue."

"No one does, actually. I just asked her yesterday," Nightwing admitted, "With everything happening the way it is, we haven't had a chance to share the news."

"Well, congratulations," Morgan was slightly hurt when Nightwing gave her a skeptical look, "No, seriously. I honestly wish the best for you. I hope it can happen to me one day."

"I'm sure whoever he will be won't turn you down when you ask," Nightwing teased.

"Yeah, it'll probably go down that way," Morgan sighed before brightening, "Right before a lot more going down happens."

"My suggestion is, don't try breaking up existing relationships. Even if the guy leaves her for you, what happens when someone else plays the same card on you?" Nightwing advised.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Morgan admitted, "But the idea of stealing a man from a rival is just too tempting."

"You seriously have some relationship issues," Nightwing remarked.

"You really have no idea," Morgan confessed.

* * *

When they arrived at the Hall of Justice, security alerted the ops center who in turn alerted Little Mermaid, Plastic Man, and Penny. Ulla came running out of the building to greet Nightwing.

"Dick!" she happily threw her arms around him and lifted him off of the ground. He couldn't reply because he could barely breathe.

"Atlantean muscles," Penny explained to an amused Morgan.

"How did you learn Nightwing was missing?" Plastic Man asked.

"I didn't," Morgan said, "Director Webb-Kane got a tip from Batman that Matron might be involved with a secret criminal society. So I was tasked with watching her. When she left Hartford and drove to Gotham I followed. It didn't take a genius to figure out there was a chamber beneath the warehouse so I snuck in. Matron never spotted me but Grayson seemed to know I was there."

"`Cause he trained with Batman," Penny happily stated.

"And there was this bird man that helped out and then vanished," Morgan was still baffled by Talon.

"His name is Calvin Rose," Nightwing and Ulla were gently holding one another now; "He's a Talon and used to work for the Court of Owls. He sees them as being corrupted and is working to restore them to what they once were even a century ago."

"So all is well that ended well. I transmitted my digital recording of Matron's confession to the Director and have the rest if the night off," Morgan told Penny, "You still interested in painting the town red with me?"

Penny looked over at Plas and he grinned, "You've earned it. Hula is getting off duty in a few. He can help me watch the baby. He'll prefer to being on crisis management duty."

"It's the same thing," Penny teased him, "Ya'll are forgettin' what Plas Jr. can do. He's just like his daddy. All trouble."

"Fortunately you like both our types of trouble," Plastic Man said with relief.

"Lucky you. Ah'm up for it. Let me get ready and Ah'll join you at the garage where Ah can pick up mah own car," Penny offered, "But what about you? Ya'll can't seriously be thinkin' of goin' out in urban fatigues."

Morgan pulled a suitcase and a dress on a covered hangar out, "I travel prepared."

"Ya'll were plannin' ahead?" Penny was confused and delighted.

"Well, let's just say I had plans," Morgan cast a meaningful glance Nightwing's way.

"Oh!" Penny was stunned, "Ah'm glad ya'll…changed your mind then. C'mon, I'll show you to the locker room where ya'll can get ready."

"Should I be worried?" Ulla asked Nightwing.

"Not anymore," Nightwing assured her, "But let me share with you what I know about Agent Morgan."

"And I'll fill in a lot of gaps," Plas offered.

* * *

Dawn came across Kenya and it found a naked Santana lounging in her bed next to an equally naked Ultra-Humanite. Santana's bed was reinforced to be able to hold the weight of an elephant since several of her lovers were mutated elephant bodies with transplanted human brains. She bedded rhinos, lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, gorillas and even the occasional crocodile. Of course, Santana had experimented with gorillas and elephants before mutating them and transplanting brains. The actual number of animals she'd slept with without mutation was rather staggering.

Ultra-Humanite had known she made secretive trips to various farms and zoos while he was human and they were lovers. It wasn't until she'd transformed the albino ape his mind now resided in that he'd learned of her bloodlust and her bestiality fetish. He'd been the original template for her entire cult.

"Mmm-mmm, I forgot how much…stamina you have. Can I ride you again, for old time's sake?" Santana purred.

"Old times were an hour ago," Ultra-Humanite rose and put his armored apron back on.

"Aw…don't go away mad," Santana cooed, "Lemme suck it and make it all better."

"Maybe you wouldn't have forgotten if you hadn't vanished the next morning after the operation and I killed those mercenaries that were after you," Ultra-Humanite frowned.

"We are not having _that_ conversation," Santana scowled right back, "I gave you your life and the wildest night of sex that you'd ever had. Until last night that was."

Ultra-Humanite retrieved a small vial from a pocket in his apron. Santana saw it as he gently swished its contents, "What's that?"

"The antidote that will save your life if you comply with the request I was sent here to deliver," Ultra-Humanite said dispassionately, "You should be feeling the first effects of the nerve agent I dosed you with."

Santana had been the goddess of her own sex cult for so long, she'd forgotten that people could, and would, harm her to get what they wanted, "You bastard! What…how…?"

"It's delivered by a mutated viral agent. It's most easily delivered through semen. I believe you received, and swallowed, copious amounts of my infected semen throughout the night," Ultra-Humanite was still discussing the matter as though Santana were a stranger rather than a former lover.

"Whatever it is you want, you'll never get it," Santana vowed as she started trembling.

"The effects take hold rather quickly," Ultra-Humanite warned her, "And they become quite agonizing."

"I can have my people rip you apart to get that vial," Santana snarled.

"I know you could, but you see this one part of a binary agent. The cure is completely ineffective without both ingredients," Ultra-Humanite warned her, "So, agree to my terms or I watch you die suffering as no human being on Earth has suffered since chemical warfare was developed."

"What do you want?" Santana snarled as her tremors began to take over.

"I want twelve of your best cage fighters," Ultra-Humanite told her, "By now Dr. Sivana and Mr. Mind have selected the candidates. I need you to tell them to explicitly follow any orders we give as though you issued them yourself."

"Damn you," Santana struggled to stand, "Bring whoever here and I'll give them my blessing."

Santana exited the tent still naked. It wasn't like anyone in the camp didn't have intimate knowledge of her every curve. She was surprised to see Sivana and Mr. Mind already had their chosen force assembled.

She was a little surprised by their choices. There were three rhino men, four lion men, three cheetah men and both her her crocodiles. In a way they were doing her a favor taking the crocodile men. She found them repellant lovers but they were top cage fighters. She was surprised there were no elephants and said as much.

"We already have Elephant Man allied with us through the Brotherhood of Evil. We wouldn't want him to be jealous," Ultra-Humanite told her.

"I'd like him back some day," she advised him.

"I'll be certain to tell him so," Ultra-Humanite chuckled as he handed over one agent. Blue flashes spirited them away and Santana began to suspect Ultra-Humanite had betrayed her. Then a second flash delivered a small vial. She desperately read the instructions on the label and staggered back to her tent to prepare the injection.

* * *

Mother of Champions was strapped across a table with her hips and legs hanging over. Her knees were bent and her legs spread wide. Doomsday studied her naked form with rapt curiosity.

"I've never done this before," Doomsday told Merlyn.

"It's called 'doggy style'. You'll be a natural," Merlyn assured him before leaving the chamber.

Merlyn joined Grodd as Doomsday brutally raped the Chinese heroine. Her screams resounded through the OmniTech complex they inhabited. Every time Doomsday took a moment to recover, Grodd checked Mother of Champions' hormone levels. Finally on the twelfth round, Mother of Champions couldn't scream anymore and even Doomsday looked disturbed.

"Excellent!" Grodd proclaimed, "She's pregnant. Take her back to her holding cell. In three days you'll be the proud father of twenty-five sons."

Doomsday rather liked that idea as he broke the straps holding Mother of Champions down and dragged her back to her cell. Merlyn rejoined Grodd, "This isn't what I signed up for."

"No, you signed up to kill Starling and Bat-Girl for nearly killing both you and your son," Grodd reminded him, "These bumps along the road help insure that outcome. Never forget that."

Merlyn knew Grodd wouldn't let him.

* * *

The day before, Jake Elliott had driven Arthur Brown to the Monte Carlo International Airport. Rocki Ballantine had rented a Range Rover the day before and drove Stephanie Brown and Kitrina Falcone to the airport so they could observe who Cluemaster was picking up. Rocki stayed in the SUV with a laptop receiving a signal from a mincam mounted in Kitrina's sunglasses.

Stephanie couldn't afford to be spotted by her father and neither could Kitrina. The Falcone crime family in Gotham had a reward posted for her return. Basically it was a bounty placed on her head by her uncle Roman.

Justin Ballantine had appeared and he and Cluemaster had breezed through baggage claim and back to the Range Rover Jake was driving. Kitrina had made a near pass that had brushed her up against Justin's coat. Stephanie later admitted she didn't know if she would have had the wherewithal to make that pass.

Rocki got ARGUS chewing on the visuals and the team didn't get a response until the next day. Rocki called up to Selina Kyle's suite, which she shared with Kitrina, and informed the pair they needed to see the data ARGUS had sent back. Rocki and Stephanie shared a room inside the same hotel.

"We might have a problem," Stephanie warned Selina and Kitrina as they entered.

"Our stranger?" Selina inquired.

"Exactly," Rocki told them, "His name is Justin Ballantine. No relation. He's an up and coming super villain in Starling City. He put on his mask when Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Speedy moved to Seattle. Of course, Speedy was calling herself Red Arrow at the time."

"This so-called super villain got a name?" Selina was mildly curious.

"He goes by the handle, 'Libra'," Rocki informed them all.

"So what's his particular shtick?" Kitrina asked.

"He uses a weapon that seems to be based off of an early design of Ted Knight's called the Gravity Rod," Rocki read off, "Anything sound familiar?"

Selina found it ironic that she, as Catwoman, was the most experienced crime fighter in the room. Kitrina had only been Catgirl for a little over a month. Stephanie's time as Spoiler had been dedicated to making Cluemaster's life a living hell. And Rocki hadn't worn her Batwoman togs in a few years.

"Ted Knight used the Gravity Rod to become the original Starman," Selina explained, "You know, Justice Society of America days? Later he constructed the solar powered Cosmic Rod. He turned over the Cosmic Rod to his oldest son and he became the second Starman. But he was also killed on his first outing as a superhero. Ted's younger son, Jack, took possession of the Cosmic Rod and wandered around the country getting into trouble. When Prince Gavyn arrived on Earth and wanted the Starman title, Jack happily gave it to him."

"Jack then went further and gave the Cosmic Rod to Courtney Whitmore. Courtney was calling herself the Star Spangled Kid at the time and was powered by her Cosmic Convertor Belt. Having both the rod and the belt, Courtney changed her name to Stargirl. I think we all know the rest," Selina added.

"Well, it says here, Libra adapted the Gravity Rod into something he calls an Energy Transmorgrifier. I don't have clue as to what it does but he's singlehandedly taken over the criminal rackets in Starling City," Rocki reported, "And he's making inroads to Hub City and Opal City."

"So he's a serious player against cops," Selina mused, "Can you whip up a countermeasure against this energy doohickey?"

"Is there any way to talk to Ted Knight?" Rocki asked.

"Ted's dead. And I doubt Jack knows anything more about the Gravity Rod than Courtney would. Which means zilch," Selina warned her, "Check with ARGUS. They probably classified the plans for the Gravity Rod when this Libra stole a copy."

Rocki called the Hall of Justice. The Watch Officer had the plans compiled and attached to a file that was sent to Rocki. She frowned as she opened the attachments.

"They sound pretty tense over there even though it's the middle of the night," Rocki observed.

She skimmed the paperwork before looking over the schematics to the Gravity Rod, "The theory behind this is incredible."

"But you understand it?" Stephanie asked.

"Like I said I understand most of the theoretical work and I can grasp the basic design elements. But I can't tell you why this thing would actually work in principle," Rocki confessed.

"We just need something to stave Libra off long enough for them to get some shots in before they make off with the crystal," Selina reminded everyone, "Steph, you're certain your father will go in tonight?"

"He was only waiting for Libra to show up. Now that they've had time to adjust the plan accommodating the new player, they're going in without a doubt," Stephanie assured them all, "For all his scheming, dad's nothing if not predictable."

"And you and Kitrina are still stealing the actual crystal in broad daylight?" Rocki found it hard to believe, "With tours underway?"

"If it wasn't impossible they wouldn't have sent us," Selina grinned.

Kitrina looked confident as well. Selina had explained their portion of the plan to her. It was so simple it was ludicrous.

"Dad will move on the museum within an hour or two of its closing since it'll be dark before it closes," Stephanie reminded them.

"Do you think Cluemaster will wise up to the authenticity of the false crystal or the tracking device inside of it?" Kitrina wondered.

"He'll be so happy he pulled of the robbery he won't care enough to scrutinize the prize," Stephanie predicted.

"Good, because he needs to deliver right to Luthor's hands," Selina stated, "Especially now that the Hall of Doom is in orbit and no one knows what happened to Luthor."

"Sure, no pressure," Rocki said with gallows humor.

"Just be glad we're not going against this new Legion faction," Selina reminded them all, "They'd throw a rival Justice League up our asses."

"I think we're all happy we're not," Kitrina admitted.

* * *

Lashina had come to Pomona to see Grodd. Doomsday loomed over her but she pointedly ignored him. Grodd was intrigued by her unexpected arrival.

"How can I help you?" Grodd asked.

"I want to help you kill Luthor," Lashina declared.

"And if I don't want to?" Grodd inquired.

"I'll try anyway and if I fail, I'll name you as my conspirator," Lashina promised, "And I'll keep saying it until they kill me."

"What makes you think I would even want to?" Grodd wondered.

"Everyone on Earth wants to," Lashina stated.

"True," Grodd allowed, "But how could you accomplish it? You're a known asset."

"Lashina won't be the one who kills Luthor. It'll be a stranger he's never met before," Lashina removed her head gear, "Would you even recognize me?"

"Honestly? No, I wouldn't?" Grodd had to admit the transformation was startling, "Let's say I agreed to help. How could I?"

"My ability to project energy through my lash is well known," Lashina said, "But Desaad tested my ability and discovered I can funnel energy through hand weapons if they're properly gauged and fine tuned."

"So, you reveal yourself and take up new weapons, to what point?" Grodd asked, "Because I have to assume Supreme has died so Luthor will be expecting you."

"He'll be expecting Lashina," she reminded him, "After today I'll be Duchess. And Duchess will worm her way into his confidence and then destroy him."

"Despite Darkseid wanting him alive?" Grodd asked the pivotal question.

"Darkseid can go to hell," Duchess replied angrily.

"Words I've waited to hear," Grodd confessed.

* * *

Saturn Queen emerged from her chambers. She looked haggard and worn. It was almost prescient the way Lightning Lord and Cosmic King turned to see her.

"Eve!" Lightning Lord exclaimed.

Cosmic King hurdled over a coffee table to reach her. Lightning Lord was right behind him. Saturn Queen gave each of them a reassuring squeeze of the arm.

"It's all right, Mekt. I'm fine. You don't to worry so much, Laevar," she tried to soothe their fears.

"Is Tessa…?" Cosmic King couldn't quite ask.

"Dead?" Saturn Queen gave a flippant laugh, "I'd like to think so but I think I've just beaten her back into submission. I'd prefer destroyed but I'll settle for quiet for now."

"Is there any way to accomplish both?" Lightning Lord inquired, ready for action.

"Actually, I devised a way to do both at the same time," Saturn Queen wore a cruel smile, "I finally realized I can transfer the unwanted personality to another person the same way it was transferred to me when it was created."

"So let's grab someone!" Cosmic King started out of the penthouse.

Saturn Queen quickly grabbed hold of his arm and brought him to heel, "It's not that simple. The Tessa personality was designed as a bandage for what the Titan Council determined was a broken personality. Of course, since I wasn't actually shattered, I rose to prominence again. But the matrix will be drawn to a broken psyche to fix. If we could find someone Tessa knows can reach the Shining Knight, it would ease things along much smoother and faster."

"But what happens when the transfer is complete?" Lightning Lord asked.

"Then we give Tessa her happy reunion with the Shining Knight…and then kill them both as painfully as possible," Saturn Queen decided.

"I like it," Lightning Lord cheered on her plan.

"So where do we start looking?" Cosmic King wondered.

"Right here," Saturn Queen summoned Brainiac. She gave her search parameters and it took him three seconds of contemplation to derive an answer. He had someone already in his data files. It took longer to track her down than it had to determine her eligibility. In all it was a ten second process.

"I have acquired a suitable target," he announced, eager to serve his queen.

"Who is it?" Lightning Lord demanded to know.

"Easy, Mekt. Patience is a must. I have a lot at stake here," Saturn Queen cautioned him.

"But you have selected someone who meets all of the criteria?" Cosmic King wondered how that could be.

"Tell me everything," Saturn Queen requested.

"The target individual has a known association with the Shining Knight. She also has a record of mental illness and delusional behavior. She has also served beside the Legion of Doom with the Brotherhood of Evil," Brainiac explained.

"So she's a potential meta-human. That will entice Tessa all the more," Saturn Queen relished the thought.

"And it would be an opportunity to eliminate a self perceived rival," Brainiac elaborated, "The target's name is Goldilocks and she has professed her undying love for the Shining Knight because it fits her delusional paradigm of being a princess in need of rescuing by a charmed knight."

"I love it!" Saturn Queen enthused.

"Goldilocks shares her power with her sister, Godiva of the Justice League International," Brainiac shared.

"And this Godiva is one of those that resisted us," Cosmic King couldn't recall anyone with that name in their ranks.

"Precisely," Brainiac congratulated him on his deductive skills.

"Then we kill her and it makes a three sided object lesion," Lightning Lord gloated.

"Where is this Goldilocks?" Saturn Queen asked Brainiac.

"Hong Kong," he answered.

"Assemble a team. We're going after her," Saturn Queen decided, "I'll get dressed while you prep everyone for transit."

* * *

In an undetected cave system branching out from the Justice League Unlimited headquarters, Brother Eye existed amongst the power systems and caverns housing his OMAC production facilities. There, the Other met with the Crime Syndicate on Earth Prime.

"Mistress Artemis, it is so good to see you again," the Other bowed low.

"You've gone far beyond what your master tasked you to do on this world," Superwoman replied, "Now, Alfred Pennyworth; it is time to bring your master here."

"Brother Eye has stolen the necessary schematics and built a dimensional gate. But even with the fires of the nuclear reactor in this chamber, there is insufficient power to operate the gate," the Other warned her.

"Then it's good we brought a sufficient power source with us," Superwoman declared.

All eyes fell on Power Ring. Even though the Ring of Volthoom wasn't actively tormenting her, Jessica Cruz backed away anyway, "N…no. Puh…please…don't."

"Come, my dear," the Other encouraged her, "By doing this you will learn to master the ring rather than have the ring master you."

"No one on our world knows they're alive?" Superwoman halted the Other and Power Ring.

"Alex Luthor thought Darkseid's forces had eliminated everyone and Master Thomas chose to let that illusion take on a life of its own. Max Lord is a fool with no scope of how his assumptions have angered Darkseid and Master Thomas alike. He thinks his bargain with the Justice League will protect him," the Other explained, "He thought wrong. This world is weak and has no scope of what the united Crime Syndicate can truly do."

"Very well, carry on," Superwoman decreed.

The Other led Power Ring to a receptacle, "Focus all of the energy you can summon and project into this device. If you falter even for a second, lives will be lost. Lives the Ring of Volthoom will make you suffer for losing."

The gate activated on its own accord as Power Ring poured every iota of energy she could into it. The Other called out, "Now, Master Thomas!"

Johnny Quick was the first through. Owlman, Deathstorm, and Sea King followed. The Other came to Power Ring.

"That's quite enough," he assured her.

Jessica passed out and Ultraman moved at super speed to catch her. No one besides the Other even noticed. Atomica squealed as she threw herself into Johnny Quick's waiting arms. Deathstorm and Sea King took an appraising look around.

Superwoman grabbed hold of Owlman's tunic and pulled him in for a savage kiss. She held on to him after she broke the kiss, "It's good to see you."

The Other dropped to one knee, "Master Thomas, I only live to serve."

"You've gone above and beyond, Alfred," Superwoman released Owlman as he spoke to his bond servant, "Can this world truly be as soft as the data you sent suggests?"

"Softer, Master Thomas," the Other promised.

"Then it should take a few days rather than months to conquer this world and prepare to retake our own," Thomas Wayne predicted.

"There will be pockets of resistance," Superwoman warned him, "Max Lord was right to get the Justice League to sign off on never coming back to our Earth. They can be formidable foes."

Owlman smiled, "We wouldn't want it to be too easy, would we?"

* * *

Barda used her captured boom tube controller to go to JLU headquarters then to report to Supertown on New Genesis. Finally, she'd arrived at Themiscyra. A dozen Amazons led by Hestia surrounded her.

"Lay down your weapons and strip out of your armor, New God," Hestia commanded.

Barda scattered the Amazons with her mega wand, "The next shot actually hits one of you and not the dirt you're standing upon."

"Sisters! Form ranks!" Hestia commanded.

"Stand down," Diana ordered as she made an appearance, "Hestia, I won't repeat myself."

The Amazons slinked away but Barda could feel their eyes still upon her, "I take it you've been expecting me."

"I thought you'd be here sooner," Diana admitted.

"The bulk of the Justice is still a prisoner to that woman's mind. But I had to check to see if anyone laid Scott's body at our headquarters," Barda admitted.

"There isn't exactly a body in the traditional sense," Diana warned her before leading her to a small memorial garden. The statue Mr. Miracle had become stood amidst it, "We tried to honor his life not the mockery of it when he attacked us and tried to kidnap my daughter."

"I'll be taking him," Barda told her.

"Thank Hera, when no claimed him we put him here but this is reserved for fallen sisters," Diana breathed a sigh of relief.

"What would you do in my place?" Barda said in a menacing voice, "How would you respond if someone disrespected your slain husband?"

"Clark isn't dead so that's hardly an issue," Diana retorted.

"Would you even care if he died?" Barda asked coldly, "If he did die, would you be bothered enough to leave this island to attend his funeral?"

Diana's silence was the answer she needed, "I didn't think so. Don't ever leave this island again, Princess. If you come out to the rest of the world, we'll have another entirely different conversation. And if perchance you were to end up on New Genesis, I'll kill you without asking the how or why of it."

Diana stood in mute silence as Barda used a boom tube to return to Izaya's halls in Supertown. Diana was affronted by both Barda's ingratitude for all the Amazons had done for Mr. Miracle and she was outraged by Barda's accusing her of insensitivity. Of course she'd feel something if Clark died. She'd be grateful she'd never have to explain to Alexandra that he was her father rather than the story she had rehearsed depicting her daughter as divinely born of the god, Apollo.

* * *

Saturn Queen expectedly floated high above Hong Kong. Lightning Lord and Cosmic King stayed close by. Beneath them, Superman and the Martian Manhunter used their own unique skills to search out the urban sprawl.

Saturn Queen could sense a disturbance in their minds. But either they were blithely unaware of it or vastly better at concealing a greater issue than she was willing to concede on their behalf. Below them at street level, the Justice League International mobilized with the assistance of the Atom. Atom joined his fellow dissenters, Apache Chief, Black Vulcan, and Samurai.

No one actually knew why Saturn Queen had them tracking down Goldilocks. Most assumed it was another recruiting effort. But the JLU and three JLI members suspected there was more to it considering Saturn Queen's near feverish state.

Brainiac had located Goldilocks by tracking police reports that could easily be attributed to the teenager. He'd traced her across Eastern Europe to Asia. But the Brain had destroyed all evidence of Goldilocks' life before she assumed that identity. Owing to her sister's real identity as Dorcas Leigh, Goldilocks' surname could be traced. But no birth records, school enrollments, hospitalization records, no nothing existed before Goldilocks was born a grown woman.

So Brainiac had flagged two thefts occurring the night before and directed the Legionnaires there. The JLI flashed their United Nations credentials around and finally, at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Hotel, got a hit off of her picture. The staff produced a passport in the name of Anne Chambers and a room number.

The JLI quickly surrounded the hotel and they sent capture teams into place. But the JLI never counted on Goldilocks taking the simple precaution of bribing the staff. She received the tip off just as she'd completed preparations for going out. She gathered her essential items and dropped them down the laundry chute. The standing arrangement obliged to pay out a hefty reward for the return of her bag and its contents.

Goldilocks had never met most of the JLI. And she knew how to make herself up and dress older than her actual nineteen years. So she wore a high hemmed, low cut skintight little black dress with a black leather biker jacket, thigh high leather boots, and a black baseball cap with her ponytail protruding between the adjustment strap and the cap.

Dr. Light and Rising Sun led the procession out of the elevator. Goldilocks coolly walked past them towards the elevator. She'd never met Nightrunner, Wingman, Dark Ranger, or the Hood. Which was just as well. But Blue Beetle took notice of her. She knew she looked like a high priced escort. That was the whole point. But she didn't like the way he was staring at her.

"Excuse me, could have a word with you?" Blue Beetle asked.

"Not really," Goldilocks replied as scooted into elevator.

Blue Beetle caught the doors, "I just want to ask you a few questions."

"Sorry, I don't think you can afford my rates to answer them," Goldilocks pushed him out of the way and the doors closed and the elevator began to descend.

Beetle wasn't satisfied, especially when Rising Sun called down that Goldilocks wasn't in her room. Blue Beetle didn't believe that was coincidence. So he flagged Booster Gold, who was running the hotel search from the roof.

Booster signaled the lobby team and put them on alert. Olympian, Maxi-Man, Tasmanian Devil, Reverb, and Seraph waited as the elevator doors opened…to reveal an empty car. Yet the elevator hadn't stopped on the way down. Seraph entered and his ring, handed down by Solomon, examined the car.

"She was here and went out the access hatch," he reported.

Olympian roughly pushed past him and bent the metal around the hatch as his broad shoulder shoved their way through and he flew up the shaft. Reverb shook his head, "I'll call it in."

* * *

Olympian shattered the elevator shaft housing on the roof, "Where is she?"

"Subtle," Booster grimaced. The hotel knew they were the Justice League International. The UN would get the bill.

Booster deployed most of the JLers in pairs to search floor by floor. Fire complained, "This will take hours."

"Don't be a whiner, Beatriz," Ice scolded her.

"The idea is to drive Goldilocks into the stairwell and keep her there," Booster explained…again, "Goldstar has a team at the bottom of the stairs just waiting for our little prize."

* * *

Goldstar heard from her brother, "They're flushing Goldilocks out. It's only a matter of time until she reaches us."

"Then what?" Atom whispered in Apache Chief's ear from his shoulder.

Black Vulcan and Samurai had the same question in mind.

* * *

Goldilocks hadn't left the elevator shaft until just before the Olympian made his ascent. Then she rode the service elevator to the basement levels where she went straight to the laundry. She handed out over a thousand Hong Kong dollars worth of rewards to get her passports and her cash back.

Exiting the service entrance she literally ran right into Superman, "Bloody hell."

"Would you please come with me?" he asked.

"Why am I suddenly so popular?" Goldilocks asked.

"We represent someone who wants to talk to you," Superman replied.

"Try a phone call. It's easier," Goldilocks took the precaution of removing her ball cap.

"I really don't think your hair is going to stop me," Superman tried not to laugh.

Her ponytail whipped and snared his feet before pulling them out from underneath him. But he caught her ankle as she ran by, "A little help?"

"Care to try that request again?" Goldilocks was incredulous and totally unaware of J'onn Jonzz standing behind her.

She slumped into his arms. Superman called off the search as Saturn Queen set down before Goldilocks. She held two fingers to Goldilocks' head.

Then she wore a triumphant smile, "She's perfect."

Superman exchanged a worried look with J'onn. Which went unnoticed by Saturn Queen or the arriving Lightning Lord and Cosmic King. Their overconfidence in Saturn Queen's ability had blinded them. Just as Saturn Queen herself was victim of self-imposed ignorance.


	23. Chapter 23

37

Jake Elliott pulled into the parking lot servicing the public areas of the Rainier family estate. He was within running distance of the museum. Cluemaster, Dennis Quatrain, and Alan Davis were the first out to pop the rear hatch and gather their gear. Alan had surveyed the building's plans and determined the front doors allowed the easiest entrance and exit.

Dennis had his equipment prepared to utilize the security card reader to hijack the system and the video surveillance. Cluemaster knew the actual display case was guarded by an interlocking mechanism that could be disabled by inputting a security code devised by the king himself.

While Cluemaster watched the clock, he signaled his men, "The guards have made their sweep. We have fifteen minutes until another patrol reaches us."

Libra had exited the Range Rover's passenger side and retrieved his staff-like Energy Transmogrifier. He took up position at the entrance. Cluemaster turned to him.

"Are you sure you're ready for this encounter?" Cluemaster asked.

"I've been prepping for this for the last year," Libra breezily assured him.

"These two women aren't Starling City cops. One is a member of the Justice League and the other is my brat daughter. But don't underestimate her. She's the biggest damn pain in the ass I've ever had to deal with," Cluemaster warned him.

"Maybe you're too close to the situation," Libra remarked, "Capt. Lance and his Major Crimes Unit are getting soft now that I've beaten them so many times. It's time for a fresh horizon where I can prove myself."

"Good luck then," Cluemaster entered the museum with his cohorts.

From the rooftop, Catwoman radioed Batwoman, "They're in."

" _Copy that. Bat Glider prepped and ready. Spoiler and I are heading in to the target now,"_ Batwoman called back.

"Now we get to see what's in the man's pocket," Catwoman sounded gleeful.

"`Bout damn time," Catgirl was all repressed nervous energy right now.

Catwoman heard Kitrina Falcone's anger and realized that while Selina Kyle had made her way from being a prostitute to a socialite-jewel thief she'd never championed her "noble" causes the way Catgirl did. Catgirl was flat out obsessed with righting her family's wrongs in a way that inflicted punishment upon them and their peers and made Catgirl a healthy bit of coin besides. Catwoman thought she overdid it on the former and respected the latter.

* * *

"Hold tight until I swoop in over the parking lot like we discussed," Batwoman pleaded with Spoiler.

"Just get me close. I'll do the rest," Spoiler promised her.

Batwoman had an easy guidance chore as she aimed at the only vehicle in the parking area. She swept low and Spoiler bailed off and rolled to a halt next to the Range Rover. She extended her collapsible batons and rapped on Jake's window. Jake had been busy trying to track Batwoman's glider.

"Open up, dumb ass," Spoiler insisted.

Jake fumbled with a pistol tucked in the front his pants. Spoiler could see it was one of the newer models with a trigger safety and no external safely block. And Jake had his finger firmly on the trigger.

"Seriously dude, you're gonna blow your dick off," Spoiler warned him.

Jake yanked it and it cleared out of his hands. Hitting the passenger floorboard, the knockoff model discharged. The bullet hit Jake in his calf. Fortunately for him it was a clean entry and exit wound. Spoiler could see the dent in the side of the SUV.

"Are you done yet?" Spoiler was absolutely incredulous. Where had her dad dredged this guy up? The _Road & Track_ issue of _Soldier of Fortune_?

Spoiler gave Jake up as a lost cause and went to help Batwoman now that she'd engaged the mysterious Libra. Spoiler had generally known her adversaries in the past. She'd grown up around them. Something she shared with Rocki's friend, the other Batwoman. Kathy Duquesne had been on the gift list of half of Gotham's notorious. Cluemaster had never commanded the respect that Carlton Duquesne had but even Cluemaster knew enough to hire his muscle from Duquesne.

But Kathy had shut that side of the business down as she renovated Duquesne Security into a legitimate specialized security for hire force. Half the workforce had even gone straight to stay with the company and its new vision. But Carlton would never have seen the light of legitimacy while in prison if Kathy and Rocki hadn't joined with Sonia Alcona in becoming Batwoman. Sonia was dead and Kathy was a full time member of the Justice League of America. Rocki said she would only be a part-timer but Spoiler had a feeling that wouldn't be true.

Batwoman nearly grazed Libra with her Bat Glider twice before he employed his Energy Transmogrifier. It absorbed half the electrical output being supplied to the building. And then he unleashed part of it at Batwoman. The insulation she'd insisted the trio put into their Batwoman suits saved Rocki's life. But her Bat Glider was a certain fatality.

Batwoman managed to steer the stricken glider towards Libra before she abandoned it. He belatedly realized it was coming right at him. He evaded it and it crashed, skidding into the museum's outer wall. Batwoman took aim with her smart metal batarang and threw it.

It struck Libra in the chest and the transformed into a straight jacket. Libra seemed amused, "Smart metal? Not many in that field. Even fewer women. Give or take a guess I'd have to say you aren't Dr. Noel Fielding. I doubt that dowager could tuck and roll that easily. So that leaves Rocki Ballantine. How are you doing, Dr. Namesake?"

"What I miss?" Spoiler asked as she joined Batwoman.

"Let's see here…" Libra applied a specialized electrical current to the restraint and it reverted back into being a batarang, "You really should vary your electrical stimuli inputs once in a while, Rocki."

"Why does he know who you are?" Spoiler dreaded the answer even as she asked it.

"I really don't know," Batwoman admitted, "Did you scare the driver."

"Idiot shot himself," Spoiler told her, "It's not a stretch to imagine he soiled himself in the process."

"Oh good," Batwoman said flippantly.

"Ladies, I believe you were dealing with me now," Libra chided them.

"Egotistical much?" Spoiler shot back at him.

"You won't think so in a minute," Libra promised.

"Well, isn't he an annoying piss ant?" Spoiler wondered.

"I think we really have no idea yet," Batwoman warned her.

* * *

Inside the museum, Cluemaster, Dennis, and Alan tasered the guards they came across. With Dennis' mastery of the security system, they remained undetected and were aware of the guards' patrol movements. Using the guards' own zip ties, they bound them. Fortunately for Cluemaster, only one guard was ever armed during the watch. The others relied upon stun guns.

Finally, they reached the desired crystal. All three men eyed it with a new perception despite the actual dimmed light. It wasn't an elusive prize anymore. It was an actual capture.

"It's even more beautiful knowing it's going to be all mine," Cluemaster whispered.

"At least until you give it away," Alan remarked, "I'm glad I got paid up front but I will enjoy the completion bonus."

"This last security lock is all yours," Dennis told Cluemaster, "You said you'd deduced the king's code."

"Easy, it's Grace Kelly's birthday," Cluemaster entered in the dates and the case unlocked. Dennis lifted the bulletproof glass shield. He handed the crystal to Alan.

"You can play bagman, Mr. I Got Paid Up Front," Dennis slid the crystal into Alan's duffel bag.

"Jeez, this thing's heavy," Alan complained.

"Pussy," Dennis snorted.

"Gentlemen, if we can finish measuring who's is what, can we get going?" Cluemaster asked, "That power drain earlier had to be our good friend Libra fighting Spoiler and Batwoman."

"Are you really going to let him off your kid?" Dennis asked.

"Stephanie chose her side," Cluemaster growled.

"Still, it's cold, man," Dennis remarked.

"Cold enough to get me into the Legion of Doom?" Cluemaster inquired.

"Yeah, that," Dennis conceded. He recalled Arthur Brown had been a popular game show host at one time on a game show he'd developed. So when the show lost popularity, Cluemaster had lost his investment as producer and like Edward Nygma, his career as a game developer was killed. Which afterwards, the networks largely avoided game shows anymore anyway. And even dedicated game show networks kicked Arthur Brown to the curb. It had taken an obsessive personality to develop the Cluemaster persona.

The trio exited the museum out the front doors as planned to find Libra engaged in a battle against Batwoman and Spoiler. Just as predicted. Cluemaster was livid.

"Damn that girl! She doesn't have the god given sense to stay out of my way!" he fomented.

"I really think she's the last of your problems right now, Arthur," Catwoman leapt off of the roof and landed in a crouch before kicking Dennis' legs out from underneath him.

Cluemaster finally drew the gun he'd held in reserve. But Catgirl came in at a flying kick from the roof, "Puh-lease! Go back to your day job."

"Why you little…" Cluemaster began to say.

He never finished because Catgirl's jump kick connected with his jaw like an uppercut. Cluemaster's head snapped back and he staggered. Catgirl applied the heel of her hand to Cluemaster's masked nose. It squished like a soggy mess.

Catgirl could see the blood staining his mask, "Whoops! I did it again."

"Gah! Not Britney Spears you little…" Cluemaster raged.

"Be nice," Catgirl chided him, "I'm impressionable."

* * *

Catwoman let Alan run straight towards the SUV as planned. But she softened Dennis up with some karate before feigning like he'd escape through his wits. Catgirl saw Alan and Dennis run away and she pretended to be have pulled a muscle to urge Cluemaster to give it up and run away as well. She thought he was going to be stupid enough to try and fight her but he wised up and retreated.

Libra spared enough attention to actualize Catwoman and Catgirl's hesitation by making them dodge electrical bolts. Then he returned his attention to fending off Batwoman and Spoiler. Finally Cluemaster called out to him.

"Libra, we are leaving!" he informed Libra.

Libra planted the Energy Transmogrifier in the ground and volleyed a few electrical waves at the surrounding JLers. While they did the duck and cover, he broke and ran. He expended the last of the energy he'd absorbed in a few final shots before hopping into the SUV.

The last thing the JLers heard from the "master criminals" was Jake yelling, "Get that thing outta my face!"

* * *

After the Range Rover had squealed out of the parking lot, the INTERPOL representatives ARGUS had been working with came out of hiding from elsewhere on the palace grounds. The INTERPOL Chief Inspector in charge of the operation asked, "Madame Kyle, you are certain these men have booked a charter flight out of Monaco?"

"That's our information, Chief Inspector Rousard," Catwoman assured him.

"And you previously secured the real crystal?" Rousard felt compelled to ask.

"It's in the security office's supply closet as agreed," Catwoman felt slightly insulted.

"Just how did you accomplish that?" Rousard had to ask.

"The tours are conducted in fifteen minute intervals and the cameras are notoriously unrealiable during peak viewing hours," Catwoman explained, "Two things which can be exploited. My protégé here did the actual swap."

Catgirl looked as proud as she deserved to. The fact a teenage girl did the work unnerved Rousard, "Yes well, the royal family, INTERPOL, and the local police will make the necessary laments and declarations of outrage before the crystal 'mysteriously' reappears and is put back in display in…let's say two weeks?"

"That should be plenty of time, Inspector Rousard," Catwoman assured him, "This was fun. It reminded me of the good old bad days."

"Pardon me, and the rest of INTERPOL, for preferring the new good days," Rousard quipped.

"And so do most collectors, legal and illegal," Catwoman graced him with a languid smile.

"As per our agreement with ARGUS, you four were never seen in Monaco," Rousard promised, "I must confess I was surprised to learn of Catwoman's continued association with a Justice League."

"Try to keep it under your hat," Catwoman requested, "Because that's the idea. Now if you'll excuse us, we have one last day as civilians to spend in Monte Carlo. And with the pressure off, we mean to make the most of it."

"Who am I to deprive such valiant beauties of the wonder of my country?" Rousard smiled.

Batwoman had spent her time arranging for the International Security Agency to collect her glider and teleport it back to the Hall of Justice. Then the quartette barely squeezed in Selina Kyle's rented Porsche Spyder. A fact which Rocki had a comment for.

"Have you ever driven a practical car?" she irritably wanted to know.

"Tut tut, such an attitude. And you being an up and coming entrepreneur," Selina chided her, "Relax. Live a little. Maybe we'll even get you laid."

"No!" Rocki blurted in a strident tone, "I mean…maybe some other time."

Selina and Kitrina exchanged curious glances. Selina thought it might be time to look into Rocki's background a little more thoroughly.

* * *

Wonder Woman confronted Steve Trevor regarding the JLA's command hierarchy, "Why should I follow you into battle, Colonel?"

"Besides the little thing called a chain of command it's because I have more combat and special operations experience than any member of the team," Trevor told her, "And as such I was designated the JLA's field commander. I'm sure Director Waller probably showed you my service record so that means you're real issue here is you don't want to take orders from a man, correct?"

"Yes," Artemis was a little surprised Trevor had the insight to realize that, "In my home of Bana-Maghdad, we weren't graced by the goddesses with immortality. We incorporated man folk in our Amazonian colony. They made useful servants and breeding stock. Yet we still had to continually put down their petty uprisings begun over imagined slights."

"I get the impression those slights weren't so imagined," Trevor remarked.

"Of course you'd say that. You're just another man," Artemis practically spat at Trevor, "You have hardly proven your worth to me, Colonel."

"Follow me and we can settle that," Trevor offered. He led her to one of the sub-basement training arenas. Inside, Question and Huntress sparred and Katana fended off both Ri and Darknight in a full contact weapons exercise.

"Here we are," Trevor told her, "If you'd just step into the center octagon."

"What is this place?" Artemis wondered.

"One of our training facilities. This one is designed to facilitate handheld weapons training and hand to hand combat exercises," Trevor explained. He called everyone over to witness the planned bout between Trevor and Artemis.

"The rule is simple," Trevor stated, "If you can strike my face with any kind of blow, I step down as field commander and you can appoint whomever you wish to take my place. Including yourself."

Artemis adopted a ready stance and Trevor asked her, "Are you ready?"

Artemis thought the man must be addled. She was obviously ready and he just stood there smiling at her like some idiot. She realized this so-called bout would be over before it ever began.

"Whenever you are," Wonder Woman gave him one last chance to prepare himself for a fight.

"Go for it," Trevor said without changing a thing. Wonder Woman decided he deserved whatever he received.

Artemis exploded into action but try as she might she couldn't land a blow on Trevor's face. So she attempted body shots to distract his defense but he blocked, evaded, or redirected each of those blows as well. And then he began throwing her all across the ring.

Artemis grew more and more frustrated as the perceived slights and indignities mounted. She grew increasingly aggressive and even more reckless. Then Trevor began slapping her rather than striking a truly effective blow as though he were mocking her.

The newly christened Wonder Woman used every technique and skill that had earned her the title of Champion of the Gods and still Trevor toyed with her. Suddenly, he plucked the Lasso of Truth off of her belt. It was the only weapon she hadn't set aside before entering the octagon. He roped her and cinched the lasso tight, knowing it was unbreakable.

"Release me!" she demanded.

"No," Trevor said simply, as calmly as he had stated the rules at the outset of the contest, "I guess I'm staying at the top of the food chain."

He climbed out of the ring and exited the training room. Artemis turned to Question and Huntress, "You! Faceless one, release me at once."

"I'd rather not," the Question replied and he and Huntress began to exit as well.

"Sister, can you truly abandon me?" Artemis pleaded.

"Watch me," Huntress snorted.

"You! Fellow sister! Release me at once!" Artemis roared at Ri.

"I think not," she politely replied. Darknight escorted her out.

That left Katana. Artemis could tell she was as much a warrior as Wonder Woman herself, "Don't leave me here."

"A modicum of courtesy and respect would further your cause," Katana stepped out.

Artemis angrily struggled with her bonds. Huffing a massive sigh she got out of the ring by flying over the ropes and headed out the door. Out in the corridor, Trevor and Katana waited for her.

"Ready to play nice now?" Trevor calmly and collectedly inquired.

"I…I concede, Colonel. You certainly deserve the right to lead this team," Wonder Woman allowed, "I will willingly serve under your leadership."

"I don't want you to serve anything but your own conscience. But I would like you to work with me under my leadership," Trevor amended for her.

"I can agree to those terms," Artemis relaxed.

"I'm betting you'd prefer I didn't touch you more than I have to so Katana here will untie you," Trevor surprised her again, "Meet everyone in the briefing theater in twenty minutes."

Katana loosened the lasso and Artemis pulled it over her head, "Are all men like that?"

"Not in my experience," Katana admitted, "But a rarified few are."

"What an interesting world I've entered," Artemis mused as she returned to the training room to collect her personal weapons.

Katana wondered just what it was between men named Steve Trevor and Wonder Women.

* * *

Black Adam stood on a rise and gestured across the sweeping terrain of Kahndaq, "This is my ancient homeland. As a boy, the Pharaohs liberated my country from nomadic invaders. After the wizard chose me as his champion, I served Khufu as he ruled over the Upper and Lower Nile countries, the Sinai Peninsula, the Negev Desert, and my own beloved Kahndaq. When Khufu fell I ruled over the lands until the Wizard entombed me."

"And my family descends from Kahndaq," Isis told Black Mary, "A fact my brother, Ahmud, constantly reminded me as Adrianna Tomaz when I became an Egyptologist. He wanted me to study our ancient homeland to which I would remind him didn't exist anymore."

"So…you're planning on taking over the country," Mary wasn't certain she'd understood Black Adam.

"Yes, those that carved out and reforged the country anew have sunken into wallowing over the scraps of their prize. Infighting has begun. Libya mounts forces to retake the land and Egypt covets it from the halls of Cairo. In order to secure Kahndaq's future, we must secure it," Black Adam proclaimed, "It is the destiny of the Black Marvel Family to preserve this kingdom. It is your destiny now as well, Black Mary. Can you not hear the gods speaking within you to hold these lands at all costs?"

Mary could. That was the problem. Isis had explained that the Egyptian pantheon had enjoyed unrivaled worship and adoration within Kahndaq. Perhaps even more so than in neighboring Egypt. Mary instinctively knew the gods had plans for this tiny nation. Plans that would make it a rival for any national power. The question was, did she owe the gods her allegiance?

"I'm in," Mary finally decided after much debate and inner struggle.

"Excellent, child. We shall being our campaign at first light tomorrow," Black Adam decided.

"What about Osiris?" Mary asked. Black Adam and Isis had conceived the child in their Black Marvel forms and the Egyptian gods had endowed Osiris with unspeakable power. He had no mortal form. Mary had a feeling Osiris was intricately linked to Kahndaq's future.

What she and the other Marvels didn't realize, but Shazam and the Question did, Osiris was the fulfillment of the single conspiracy lacing history to conceive Osiris as the ultimate expression of divine Egyptian power. But how that power would be expressed was anyone guess, even his own parents.

* * *

Several of the allied groups gathered in the Hall of Justice's briefing theater. The resident Justice League of America, the liberated Justice League Unlimited members, The free members of the Justice League International and Killer Frost, the select members of the Justice League Dark, in addition to the newly reunited JSA All Stars, the newly returned Teen Titans, the slightly subdued Injusticers, and the Titans though they were down one man as Arsenal was being fitted with an advanced cybernetic prostheses.

Batman had returned so he led the briefing. Trevor and Sue Dibney had brought him up to speed over the course of the last four hours. Nightwing had broached the Court of Owls situation with Batman, assuring him that neither Lincoln March nor the Owls had put together the fact Batman and Bruce Wayne were actually the same person. Instead they chose to believe the fiction Bruce Wayne simply funded Batman.

The GCPD had raided dozens of Owl locations. Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon had called Dick Grayson to inform him of what they'd found. Most of the locations weren't even listed in the archive the JLA had found a month ago. But no Owls had been located. But a cadre of mercenaries with domestic and international arrest warrants had been captured.

Spyral Director Katherine Webb-Kane had issued a standing arrest warrant for Helena Wayne. Someone within the agency had tipped the former Matron regarding the warrant and Helena had gone to ground, disappearing with the rest of the Owls. Batman had urged Talon to track down Lincoln March and his daughter and to hand them to Spyral.

Batman called the meeting to order. He began asking Goldilocks how the Court of Owls served the Legion's interests in her future. Before she could answer, she abruptly winked out of existence. Shining Knight exploded onto his feet.

"What hast happened here?" he wanted to know, "What devilry is this?"

Nyssa Raatko noticed Kalea-El looking her way. When Nyssa made eye contact, Kalea simply nodded once. And Nyssa knew her privately expressed theory to Kalea had just come true.

"She's gone," Nyssa simply announced.

"We can see that," Wildcat grated.

"You don't understand, she never existed," Nyssa told everyone, "It's the resolution of a time paradox. The future Goldilocks was a product of a definitive past. That past is no longer our future so she ceased to exist."

"It's simplistic temporal mechanics," Kalea vouched for Nyssa.

"But why now?" Nightwing wondered.

"The Legion operated in Hong Kong last night, mid-afternoon Hong Kong local time," Batman told everyone.

"Best guess would be they abducted Goldilocks for unknown reasons and that has shifted future events in a catastrophic way," Nyssa ventured.

"But why grab the now Goldilocks when it was the future Goldilocks helping us?" Speedy wanted to know.

"That's a question we need to answer," Batman decided, "Presumably, the Legion didn't even know about the future Goldilocks being in our time frame. So what use is it to capture our present Goldilocks? What is her strategic value?"

"And there will be a set value," Deathstroke assured everyone, "This trio doesn't operate out of economic concerns like our contemporary Legion of Doom. They're in it to create a kingdom that will stretch over a thousand years so they can inherit it. I can only assume they have much larger plans for it after they take possession."

"Very Hitler," Flash commented.

Both Green Lantern and Shayera Hol were just glad Wally West was beside them again. But his whole countenance was much grimmer and he tried hiding the tremors in his hands. John Stewart still wanted Nightshade's head on a platter but Shayera had reminded him, it was Nightshade that had argued for Flash's release and Batman and Col. Trevor had wanted her prisoners detained indefinitely.

Shayera had noted that the other Flash, Jay Garrick, had noticed Wally's infirmity and tried cheering him out of it. And Trajectory's idol worship couldn't have hurt Flash's ego either. Jay and Jesse Quick had certainly benefited from it as well.

"Any progress in tracking the Legion down?" Batman asked White Rabbit directly.

"My usual criminal sources have dried up. No one wants to get on their bad side," White Rabbit shared, "No one has a clue as to where the Legion and two Justice Leagues are holed up. Which I find hard to believe. Maybe if we could locate Luthor we could find out how to find the Legion as well."

"Maybe you approaching it from the wrong angle," Trajectory blurted. She was embarrassed as everyone eyeballed her, "I mean, Luthor derives his cash flow from stocks dividends and other investments. He is still the single largest shareholder in LexCorp. But LexCorp has myriad holdings. Besides wholly owned subsidiaries and affiliates, LexCorp financed buying up companies under Luthor's CEO days and setting them up as functional, operating shell companies financially tied to LexCorp but operating independently. Who says Luthor or the Legion aren't operating out of one of those?"

"Mercy Graves vouched for everything in LexCorp's' books," John Stewart said sternly.

"Those are a lot of books and she can't read them herself," Trajectory reminded him, "So who's to say whoever is doing the reading isn't drawing two salaries? One from LexCorp and one from Luthor himself."

"Good thinking," Batman offered rare praise, "We'll send a team to LexCorp."

"Basilisk defended the Hall of Doom beside the Owls and Majestic," Nightwing pointed out.

"I'll take Regulus," Deathstroke determined.

"You'll need help," Batman countered, "Nyssa, are your Injusticers up for it?"

"We will be," she confidently answered.

"Remember, their entire goal in life is to counter and capture meta-humans," Batman warned them.

"Then it's a good thing our two teams have hardly any metas," Deathstroke retorted.

"Majestic may or may not know anything," Power Girl advised Batman.

"Would he even talk to you?" he wondered.

"Nope, he'd probably piddle and head out to sea," Power Girl replied.

"Captain Marvel and Junior, you're questioning Majestic," Batman told them.

"Has there been any word from Mary, or Black Adam, or Isis?" Captain Marvel asked.

Horus bristled at the mention of his sister's name. Batman offered some news, "Tawky Tawny is watching Osiris for an indefinite period of time. But Black Adam estimated that it shouldn't be more that a three day period."

Batman refocused, "JLA, you have two tasks. Nightwing and Col. Trevor you will divide your Justice League and create two teams. Nightwing, you'll head up the LexCorp investigation. Col. Trevor, you'll find and retrieve Azrael."

"I request that the JLD come along as well since the Wizard is involved," Trevor admitted.

"Hot damn! We're up," Enchantress enthused.

"All Stars and Teen Titans, you'll stand by at your facilities and await instructions. JLU members, you'll stand by here at the Hall of Justice with me."

"And us?" Vapor asked on behalf of the JLI.

"I have a special task in mind for you," Batman promised her, "And for you, Kalea."

"I should hope so," Kalea quipped.

* * *

The Titans and the Injusticers were teleported to the US Marine amphibious assault ship _USS Wasp_ offshore southern Mexico nearing territorial waters. Basilisk had protected its encampment with disruptors and scramblers that would turn a teleport rider inside out. So more conventional means were being utilized to insert agents into Basilisk's camp.

The United States had quickly and quietly informed Mexico of the threat in their southern jungles. And the US had announced their intervention plans without bothering to seek permissions first. The move would set US-Mexican foreign relations back twenty years but it insured the strike could get underway before a leak informed Basilisk of what was coming.

The Marines deployed all six AV-8B Harrier II's to soften the compound's defenses before the tilt rotors and helicopters arrived. The four MV-22 Osprey tilt rotors would arrive ahead of the transport helicopters and gunships. They would engage ground targets before the sole aircraft bearing passengers engaged in a touch and go to deploy personnel. Four CH-53 Sea Stallion heavy transport helicopters and four venerable UH-1N Hueys arrived to disembark Titans and Injusticers. The Hueys dated back to the Vietnam conflict. Riding escort were four AH-1W Sea Cobras also dating back to the Vietnam era.

The Titans filled one Sea Stallion with Horus flying alongside. The Injustice League occupied two more Sea Stallions. The Injustice Rogues had somehow managed to squeeze Girder into a Huey while the other Rogues flew in a second one. The Injustice Titans alone rode in an Osprey.

The Harriers expended all of the air to surface missiles, including Hellfire antitank busters, and emptied their guns before returning to the ship. On their way out they double clicked their mikes to wish the transports luck. The Sea Cobras pushed ahead and attacked anything moving or shooting while three of the Ospreys used their own support weapons to lay down cover fire while the Injustice Titans disembarked.

The three Sea Stallions did touch and goes as well emptying their holds of the Titans and Injustice League while the fourth transport used its guns to lay down a barrage. The Hueys came in. The one carrying Girder groaned under his weight as he hopped out. The rest of the Injustice Rogues began joining the push to breach the encampment.

The _Wasp's_ CO recalled the aircraft and the Titans and Injusticers were finally on their own. Which they preferred. The ship's captain had received word from General Wade Eiling. Eiling was a four star in command of the military's meta-human response and research divisions. Directly under Eiling, General Sam Lane represented the meta-human special operations forces.

Their projects were off any books, especially those Amanda Waller could access. Eiling and Waller had a cordial working relationship when they directed the JLU. But the JLA was entirely Waller's brainchild. And ARGUS had created it and given her sole control over it, excluding the military option. Which Eiling found detestable. So Lane became his salvation.

Sam Lane had lost his daughter, Lois, to Doomsday. His remaining daughter, Lucy, was a Major in the Air Force Security Police. Lucy had served with distinction in combat roles in Iraq and Afghanistan before women were officially designated combat soldiers. Most of Lucy activities had fallen under SPECOM's bailiwick since they were the umbrella command of the United States Special Forces.

So Sam Lane saw an opportunity when he recruited Lucy for a special black on black project. A project that could only be helped by maximizing the casualties of groups like the Titans and the Injusticers. So Lane had pitched it to Eiling and Eiling had intervened on Lane's behalf. But because ARGUS had the ear of POTUS regarding Basilisk's ongoing threat, the mission had to get underway. Which even Lane wished them luck, if a horribly bloody and costly kind of luck.

Major Disaster shook the foundations of the camp with a massive earthquake. Structures toppled and walls broke and collapsed. Horus, Big Sir, and Girder led the charge into the central compound. Inertia scouted ahead at super speed while Lady Flash was requested to hold back. Ivanka Christina Borodin Molotova was less than happy about that.

Cheshire, Tattooed Man, Gunslinger, joined White Canary, Dark Archer, and White Lighting in shoring up the flanks against conventional troops and armored units. White Lightning ordered a group of Basilisk foot soldiers to execute their female companions before ordering them to commit suicide.

Aresia was less than pleased, "It is contemptible to treat sisters that way."

"You'd rather they shoot at you?" White Lightning drolly asked.

"Those women would have fought us until they were dead or dying," Nyssa advised Aresia.

"I…see your point," Aresia conceded.

Nyssa knew returning to Themiscyra had dredged up seasons of doubt within the young exiled Amazon adoptee. And the fact the newly chosen Wonder Woman had chosen to accept Aresia rather than reject her offered hope of reconciliation with the Amazons. A hope Nyssa had to squelch.

* * *

Blacksmith transmuted twenty troopers into organic steel and had them fighting armored response units. Silver Sorceress was weaving paralysis spells and snaring dozens of armed fighters at a time. Blue Jay was overhead calling in troop positions and movements. Murmur killed those ensorcelled.

Sun Girl projected massive solar flares to overwhelm the combat systems of armored fighters. Enigma used Blue Jay's telemetry to serve up ambushes using stolen weaponry. Inertia herded unsuspecting Basilisk troops into Sun Girl's fiery clutches. Joker's Daughter crushed soldier's skulls with her new affection of an oversized mallet. Nyssa worried about Duela Dent. Something within her had broken over the last three days. If the damage couldn't be curtailed, Nyssa would have to cut her loose or kill her outright.

Magenta shredded vehicles and armor and used the shards to perforate the wearers or drivers. As such she was the furthest Injusticer in a forward position when Deathstroke led the final push. Behind him, Cinder and Horus came with him from the Titans. Nyssa led David Cain, Lady Flash, Major Disaster, Big Sir, Girder, and Aresia to Regulus' position.

"It's been a while, Slade," Regulus had to admit.

"It has been, Dean. And I didn't think this would ever be a necessary house call," Deathstroke allowed, "All I'm after is some information."

"You have a funny way of asking," Regulus pointed out.

"I had to make certain you'd pay attention when I got around to asking," Deathstroke said coolly.

"Well then, you can take your questions and go to hell," Regulus declared.

Deathstroke drew his sword, "I'll make this quick for old times' sake."

Deathstroke ran forward and flipped over the top of Regulus' armored form. As he went over and landed behind him, Deathstroke severed power connections, "What? Getting slow?"

* * *

"Who thinks they have it in them to take me out," the statuesque redheaded Knockout asked.

"Bah! You are only a woman," Horus derided the stranger.

"You just became my new obsession," Knockout barely warned him before her accelerated right cross nearly knocked his teeth out, "That all you got? C'mon! Show me what a man you really are."

Horus leapt to his feet and straight…into her fist. He found himself flat on his back. And when he rolled onto his hands and knees, blood dripped from his nose. Horus had to physically wipe onto his hand before he'd believe it was his.

"Im…impossible," he stammered.

Aresia came at Knockout next. Her first punch knocked Knockout through a wall. She came up grinning.

"All right! That's more like it. And of course, you're a woman," Knockout enthused.

"You are one strange sister," Aresia commented as she attempted a round kick.

Aresia was blocked so she switched through several blows in various attempts as taught to her by the Amazons' war masters. Knockout had a counter to every move.

"Oh, you're good. But not as good as me," Knockout announced before flattening Aresia with a single punch.

Horus slammed into Knockout from behind, "Now we settle this."

"Yeah, let's," Knockout wore a manic grin.

* * *

Cinder unleashed a wave of plasma fire at Lightweaver. He manipulated light the way an emotional spectrum power ring created constructs. So he erected a wall between himself and Cinder. But she blazed away all the more intensely and Lightweaver felt the heat stretching forth through his construct. Nearby stone and mortar walls began to glow red and shift to white hot.

"Me help!" Big Sir offered from Lightweaver's other side.

Lightweaver got a wall up but Big Sir was impossibly strong. And he kept pounding away at the wall. The strain was already tearing Lightweaver's head apart. But if he dropped either wall, it was probably likely that he would get hurt.

* * *

Crosscut created and unleashed energy saws at Lady Flash. She simply darted out of their way. Only to have them alter course and come at her again. Lady Flash began running evasive patterns but Crosscut was filling the space with more and more saws. But she could detour several at a time by rushing in at Crosscut. Soon he had a wall up between them. So she had to start coming at him from different directions.

* * *

The woman known as Intersek studied the skirmishes. She knew Regulus would be impossible to deal with if she intervened on his behalf. Knockout was a total stranger but she would be ill tempered and from what Intersek could deduce, her ability didn't work on her anyway.

Intersek saw Lady Flash was beginning to get the better of Crosscut, so she moved to intercept. But Major Disaster cut her off, "Um…I love the pink hair but I really can't let you screw with Lady Flash."

"Trust me, screwing was the last thing on my mind," Intersek promised him, "But really, Major. What would you do about it if it weren't?"

"Um…something bad?" Major Disaster ventured.

Intersek pitied him because his heart wasn't in his cause. First she disconnected the part of his brain that controlled his powers from his abilities themselves. Then she short circuited his brain at a fundamental level. He collapsed and lay twitching.

"Sorry, Major. Maybe on a better day," Intersek offered.

Next Intersek shut down Cinder because she perceived Lightweaver to be in greater peril. Oddly, she couldn't shut Big Sir's brain off. It was like it already was, "Contain him!"

Intersek watched as Lightweaver placed Big Sir in a cube. The enormous man spotted Major Disaster and began to cry, "Major Man! Wah!"

"Of all of the…" Intersek was stunned into disbelief.

Lady Flash connected with Crosscut with a clothesline. Then she looked to go after Lightweaver. Intersek reached into her mind and shut Christina down.

"Such a broken spirit," Intersek said softly.

"Let me end them!" Crosscut snarled at her foes.

"Regulus wants a chance to recruit them first. After he fails, you'll get your chance," Intersek promised.

"Why do we even care?" Crosscut asked.

"Because of Breakdown's deal with Regulus. We do him this favor today and he gets us to our target later," Intersek reminded him of what he already knew.

"And we need him why?" Lightweaver still held Big Sir's sobbing self.

"Because Regulus has the connections to get us unseen access to the target," Intersek explained…again. Honestly, it was like they were meta-human children.

* * *

Breakdown watched with amusement as Girder lumbered up to him and Nyssa nocked an arrow to her bowstring and drew it back. Cain handled a combat knife in each hand. Nothing Breakdown couldn't easily deal with.

"There's no need for hostilities," Breakdown advised them, "But I will defend myself if need be."

"How?" Girder chuckled. Girder's body rusted over and corroded. He was immobilized. Breakdown step away.

Nyssa fired her arrow and reached for another. Her arrowhead flaked away as rust consumed it and the shaft rotted into pulp. Nyssa nodded.

"So the urban myths are true," Nyssa realized, "David, stand down. You can't harm him."

Cain hesitated and his blades corroded away into dust. Nyssa began to explain, "These are the Burners. Anarchists of the first order. Breakdown is their leader. Intersek, Lightweaver, and Crosscut follow him. I don't know the redhead."

"No one knows where Knockout came from but she follows her own path," Breakdown informed her, "Right now her path coincides with ours."

"And where does her path lead?" Nyssa wondered.

"Chaos," Breakdown said with awe.

* * *

Deathstroke dismantled Regulus' armor a piece at a time. Every time he disabled a section, Regulus would shuck it but sacrifice speed and power by retaining the fragments of the remaining system. Not that Regulus held any hope against Slade without the armor.

Finally Deathstroke got the tip of his sword in Regulus' throat, "Ready to answer questions now?"

"How can you be certain I won't lie to you?" Regulus asked.

"Because if I even suspect that you have, I'll kill you," Deathstroke promised.

* * *

"You're strong," Knockout's fist crashed into Horus' jaw after she'd laid Aresia out on her back again, "And you're fast and tough. But you can't fight. It's like beating up an infant."

Horus angrily came at her again and she smashed his face into the ground, "Do yourself a favor and stay down."

Aresia yanked her off of him and threw her across the yard. Knockout cracked her knuckles, "Okay, I'm game. How do you want to take it this time?"

But Aresia's entire strategy had altered. She deflected Knockout's blows rather than block them. She redirected Knockout's momentum rather than stop her. As Aresia had gathered, Knockout was driven into an impatient frenzy because the woman thrived on conflict.

Knockout grew reckless and Aresia hammered through her feeble defensive posture. Knockout staggered back and rubbed her jaw, "Not bad. I should have seen that coming. But I got angry and sloppy. Point for you. It's your last."

Knockout leapt at Aresia and Aresia flew over her head and then landed so that Knockout's face was driven into the stones embedded in the temple structure.

"Great," Knockout pushed herself up, "You can fly too. Any other secrets you'd like to share?"

"I don't like you," Aresia retorted.

"I think that's an open secret by now," Knockout brushed dirt from her face. Pebbles brushed out of her hair.

"You're too well trained to be an average mortal besides your strength," Aresia deduced, "But I sense you've been hiding until now but the lure of combat has seduced you again."

"Close, but I was stripper this whole time," Knockout wore a beatific smile, "They notice the body and don't care how you got it."

"Not my first guess," Aresia expression screwed itself up.

"I think the battle has ended," Aresia pointed at where Deathstroke and Regulus walked side by side.

"Damn, and I was just starting to rock my jollies," Knockout complained.

"Release them all, Intersek," Breakdown requested.

"So Deathstroke beat him," Intersek frowned.

"You knew he would," Breakdown chided her; "Regulus' worth is in his military intelligence capacities."

Major Disaster, Cinder, and Lady Flash looked very confused. Lightweaver released Big Sir but Major Disaster still had to convince the big lug he was alive, "Major Man! Youse alive!"

"Urk! What did I say about hugging?" Major Disaster barely managed to squeeze out.

"Uh…be very, very gentle?" Big Sir guessed as he released Major Disaster.

"Exactly," Major Disaster panted.

"Lady Flash, please inform the others we need them and that the fighting has concluded," Nyssa instructed.

Lady Flash still looked puzzled as she streaked away. Regulus had already given the 'all clear' signal but there weren't many left standing to receive it. Regulus faced Deathstroke.

"What about the collateral damage, Slade?" Regulus wondered.

"Consider it a live fire exercise. Now you know where your people are deficient. And with Leviathan defunct, you have no shortage of recruits to draw from," Deathstroke reminded him, "Maybe they'll do better if there's a next time if you learn from this."

Nyssa gathered everyone around Girder. The ISA was teleporting them back to the Hall of Justice. Blue flashes accompanied their vanishing. Knockout said her own farewells.

"I've places I need to be and the action just left," she headed out of the temple compound.

"What did Deathstroke learn?" Breakdown asked Regulus.

"Very little. All he was interested in were details concerning the Legion of Doom," Regulus shared, "I didn't know much and he realized that. Nothing about your proposed action was even mentioned."

"So we're a go?" Breakdown wanted a specific answer.

"Just as soon as you finalize your target," Regulus promised the Burners.

* * *

The Marvel Family found Majestic holed up at his fort in Upper Mongolia. He was quite agitated by their coming, "Go away. I don't know anything about anything. Just leave."

Captain Marvel could tell that Power Girl had been right. Majestic was prepared to bolt at any second, "No worries. We'll just be leaving then."

He led Junior off and they flew away. Junior had noticed the strange skittishness considering Majestic was powerful enough to fight head on with Superman. Junior had to ask Captain Marvel just what had Power Girl done to Majestic anyway?

* * *

The JLA teleported right into the heart of the Indian Creek Campground homing in on Azrael's comm receiver. What they found was the Injustice Society camped all around with the Wizard engrossed in a conversation with Azrael and Sister Lilhy. The Injustice Society was immediately put on the defensive.

"I can't fight Solomon Grundy," Power Girl declared, "I refuse to hurt him."

"If you mean the man-beast, I have him!" Wonder Woman charged Grundy with her shield poised and her sword drawn and ready. Power Girl promised herself she wouldn't rip Artemis in half.

"Ah hell," Trevor grimaced as the Injustice Society reacted.

* * *

"Don't you people ever get it?" Tigress raged, "We don't know anything about the Legion. Katana asked every question there could possibly be and we still didn't have any answers for her."

Starling was only packing a handgun this time out, "Nice true confession but all we want to know is why did you kidnap Azrael?"

"Kidnap?" Tigress scoffed, "You've got to be shitting me. He and the Wizard were already here when we returned. And you're high and mighty Azrael has been happily eating our food and enjoying our shelter ever since. No one cared he was around until the woman got here."

Bat-Girl had slipped beside Tigress, "Then you won't mind if they come with us."

"I won't give a damn," Tigress admitted, "Unless they want to stay. Then I'll have a serious problem with you all."

Starling glanced over at Bat-Girl and found her being very reflective. And when Elizabeth Kane was reflecting on something it meant there was far more to it then the obvious. Starling decided to try a new approach.

"Why did you say 'if they choose to stay'?" Starling asked.

"You don't get it, do you?" Tigress almost laughed, "Let me tell you a few things about your 'friend'."

"Please do," Bat-Girl requested.

* * *

Although Dinah Drake Lance had been silenced, she was still just as capable a fighter as ever. But it took an entirely new level of skill sets to deal with a being like Ragdoll. His triple jointed body could bend and twist in seemingly impossible ways and he had a lifetime of experience in how to make those capabilities a finely sharpened weapon.

But Black Canary had spent her youth under Ted Grant's tutelage and even Wildcat would admit that Black Canary had surpassed him as a melee fighter. She'd been so good that she'd only been in the military for two years before ARGUS tapped her to be in Team 7. And after Team 7, she'd been a solo operative for a year before the original Justice League Unlimited recruited her.

So her only real question was, without her sonic scream being available to her, what were the best conventional options to stopping Ragdoll?

* * *

Icicle launched ice daggers at Speedy. She fired regularly tipped arrows back at him. So he predictably erected an ice wall to stop them. Which is what Speedy had wanted all along.

Mia Deardon set the timers on her explosive arrows and fired two of them into the ice barrier. And right on schedule, to the second, they detonated. The resultant explosion staggered Icicle and would have baffled him as Speedy fired her stunner arrow through the debris cloud to bring him down.

Knowing Dinah was nearby; Mia checked on her and saw the struggle with Ragdoll. Speedy decided to spare her any more effort and tagged Ragdoll with a stunner arrow. Triple joints or not, Ragdoll was as vulnerable to electricity as anyone else.

Black Canary gave her a two fingered salute and Speedy returned it with the bow Oliver Queen had made for her.

* * *

Shade enveloped Power Girl in Shadow Realms darkness. But his greatest weapon was neutralized because Power Girl already knew the shadows couldn't hurt her so they had no power against her. So the trick became finding Shade and knocking him out so that the darkness would return to its home dimension.

One of Power Girl's least appreciated abilities was her super hearing. In situations like this, she could whisper and her hearing would act as an echo locator from the sound waves and sounds bouncing back at her. So she found the Shade in short order by tracking his heart beat and respiration before knocking him out with a flick of her finger. And the darkness receded.

* * *

"You cannot hurt me, sirrah," Gentleman Ghost bragged to Hawkman.

Hawkman simply thrust his Nth metal sword into Gentleman Ghost's midsection and the sword energized. Gentleman Ghost twitched and convulsed for a minute before collapsing to the ground. Hawkman pulled the sword free.

"Don't tell me what I can or cannot do," Hawkman counseled the unconscious Gentleman Ghost.

* * *

Shiv wasn't armored but she revealed all of the blades she could extend were underneath her skin rather than a product of her armor. Which Shiv's scarred skin bled when the blades thrust out of her. It made Donna Troy wonder just what kind of horrific father the Dragon King had been. Despite Shiv's blades, Troia quickly landed two sequential blows to Shiv's head to knock her out with.

* * *

Wonder Woman stabbed Solomon Grundy a few times before giving that up. Then she tried hacking off limbs only to have the wounds regenerate and restore themselves. Artemis sheathed her sword and began smashing it into Grundy's face. Finally she tipped him over onto his back with a jump kick to his chest and just kept him from getting back up.

* * *

"Yer kiddin' me, right?" Guy Gardner asked Killer Wasp, "Ya really think yer a bug? What a stupid power."

Killer Wasp zapped Guy with his bioelectric sting. Once Guy stopped twitching enough to speak, he declared, "Now yer in fer it, buggy."

Killer Wasp was still laughing about Guy's bowl cut standing on end when Guy encapsulated him. Killer Wasp proved he wasn't immune to his own sting when he stunned himself trying to get at Guy. Now Guy was harshly laughing.

"Better `n a can of Raid, huh bug?" Guy greatly amused himself.

* * *

Vibe shook Geo-Mancer so hard the earth mover couldn't focus enough to use his power. Then Vibe pulsed him again to knock him out. Vibe was just happy he hadn't shifted Geo-Mancer into another dimension. He hadn't expected to go out on a JLA mission just an hour after joining the team.

* * *

Enchantress, Nightshade, and Black Orchid covered the Wizard from the ground while Silver Swan went high. Enchantress was smirking, "You really want to go there?"

"Not in the least," Wizard admitted, "You're here for Azrael? You might not be after you learn the truth about him."

"What truth?" Nightshade asked.

"If we can avoid fighting, I'll tell you," Wizard offered.

Black Orchid called Silver Swan back down. Wizard began his explanation.

* * *

"What's going on here, Azrael?" Trevor asked.

"You wish for me to return with you but you may not wish to when you learn the awful truth. My entire life and reason for being are nothing but a lie," Azrael lamented, "The Order of St. Dumas has not only betrayed me but the entire world."

"You said the Order was created to help enforce justice," Trevor recalled.

"But the Order assumed justice is its sole purview. They define what justice is and how it shall be enforced," Azrael said bitterly, "They are fools following the legacy of a madman with world domination as his sole ambition."

"Is this true?" Trevor asked Sister Lilhy.

"Sadly, yes," Lilhy hung her head in shame, "Azrael was too close to the truth so I was sent to guide…no, deceive…him into killing the Connelly woman when the majority of the Order wants her taken alive to be their prisoner so she can unlock the secrets of time travel so the Order can dominate history."

"What should I do?" Azrael was like a wounded child.

"Find a new cause to believe in," Trevor stated, "And follow it with all of your heart. But this time choose for yourself and don't let anyone else influence you."

"Could…could I return to the Hall of Justice and contemplate there?" Azrael wondered.

"And could I come as well? I can no longer follow the Order when it asks me to betray my own heart and the truth it instinctively knows," Lilhy cast a sidelong wistful glance Azrael's way.

"All right, we'll get you both back. But remember when you choose your paths, you can't even let each other sway you towards a path or cause," Trevor said sternly.

Lilhy looked wounded.

* * *

Tigress cast accusatory glares Speedy's way as she revived Icicle. Bat-Girl had to ask Guy the obvious, "What happened to your hair?"

"Nuthin'," Guy grunted.

"You might want to check that," Bat-Girl advised.

"Why do ya care, ya luscious lezbo?" Guy wondered, "Are ya tradin' up ta a real man?"

"Guy, for the last time, I'm not a lesbian. I'm attracted to particular men because of who they are inside. The same goes for women," Bat-Girl explained…again, "And you certainly don't qualify as either."

"`Course I ain't a broad, ya dumb bitch," Guy retorted.

"Just look in that mirror," Bat-Girl urged.

After the JLA cleared the teleporter pads, Guy ducked into a locker room. Bat-Girl and Starling halted most of the team. Suddenly Guy roared.

"What the hell happened ta my hair?" Guy screamed, "An' why didn't none of them sunsabitches tell me nuthin'?"

"Well, you did try," Starling snickered at Bat-Girl.

* * *

Nightwing was assigned by Batman as the designated field commander of the JLA team to investigate LexCorp's financial holdings. Mercy Graves assigned them a team of auditors and Elongated Man came along to head up the investigation. Ralph oversaw the general thrust while Question dove headlong into specifics. Nightwing observed when the sound of explosions shattered glass throughout the building.

"That was a boom tube!" Nightwing realized, "Question, you're with me. Ralph, stay on task!"

Before the boom tube sound ripped through the air, General Glory approached Trajectory in the lobby, "I hear you used to work here."

"After LexCorp's Everyman Project activated my gen factor and stabilized it, I trained out an outside facility before returning here to working as part of Infinity, Inc." Trajectory admitted.

"I've never heard of the group," General Glory admitted.

"We only existed for three weeks. Think the Conglomerate team approach but with a single sponsor. We handled quite a few Intergang problems here in Metropolis before we went up against the Legion. And we just weren't good enough. So I got asked to join the JLA and the others were made special security agents in LexCorp plants across the world."

"It seems one of you were good enough after all," General Glory reminded Trajectory of the JLA offering her a position, alone out of any member of Infinity, Inc.

"Word is, you never fought a costume before," Trajectory turned the tables.

"I fought one, if you can count Ambush Bug as a costumed villain," General Glory revealed. "He was a lunatic whose gimmick was tiny teleporter relays disguised as mobile bugs. His suit triggered the teleports and keyed in on targeted relays. He ended robbing a dozen banks, credit unions, and even liquor stores before I caught on to what his game was."

"So how did you stop him?" Trajectory was curious.

"There were two ways of stopping Ambush Bug. You either destroyed all of his bug relays or strip his suit off of him. I did both and left him in a bank vault. The morning employees were quite surprised to find a naked man in their vault," General Glory smirked at the memory, "Ambush Bug never gave up his real name and no one had records on him. He admitted to the previous thefts but couldn't seem to remember where the stolen cash was. It was like it was just a big game to him. So they put him in a padded cell. That's my sole costume story."

"Still, it's a good story," Trajectory decided.

The boom tube shattered the window. Trajectory got General Glory clear of the glass before any hit him. Huntress was the first of the fallen back on her feet.

"Outside, people! Move!" she shouted to be heard over ringing ears.

Outside, the Female Furies awaited them. Bernadeth was full of pomp and circumstance over her newly elevated role, "Leave this building and you leave with you lives. We will destroy it in three of your minutes whether it's occupied or not."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Huntress inquired, "Because I find junior highers to be more threatening than you."

Bernadeth was totally baffled until Gilotina whispered the explanation in her ear. Bernadeth's protruding forehead bulged with veins sticking, "I'll kill you for that. Others have died for less mockery."

"You must keep pretty busy then with a forehead like that, even for a New God," Huntress taunted her.

Bernadeth was sputtering. Gilotina and Artemiz were barely restraining their laughter. Even the coat tail clingers were amused. Malice Vundabar was the only one openly tittering with laughter.

"Kill anyone dressed like a New God!" Bernadeth managed to scream at long last.

* * *

Gilotina drew her swords and approached Katana, "I see you carry a blade. Are you skilled with it or is it a human affectation? Let's see how you compare to the greatest swordswoman on Apokolips."

"Where is she then?" Katana asked.

"Impudent bitch!" Gilotina snarled, "I am a New God. You should bow before me and praise me for sacrificing you to my glory."

"It would be the only way you would ever sacrifice me," Katana replied.

Gilotina exploded into a flurry of cuts, strokes, and angled attacks. Katana defended herself against every one. Gilotina broke off.

She'd been moving at super human speed yet Katana matched her every attack. Katana saw Gilotina's hesitation, "Shall we see what I can do?"

Katana came at Gilotina as fast with one sword as the New God had been with two. But that was a moot point as Katana disarmed Gilotina of a single sword. Then she pressed her attack home.

When Katana disarmed Gilotina again, the Female Fury utilized her hands as blades. The SoulTaker bit deep into her fingers and the edge of her palms as Gilotina attacked. A normal katana blade would have shattered under the weight of the attacks but the SoulTaker was enchanted and was nearly impossible to break.

Gilotina finally spotted the eldritch energy transferring from the swords grip to Katana's hands. But the distraction lost her the battle. Katana had the blade pressed against Gilotina's neck in what should have been a killing stroke.

"You do not have to die today," Katana offered, "Swear that you shall stand down and remain out of the battle and you shall live. Otherwise, I take your head and your soul enters my blade where Darkseid can never reach it to resurrect you."

"I'll stand aside," Gilotina pledged in a reasonable voice.

"If you break your vow, I will finish this without question," Katana pledged.

* * *

Animal Man found himself pitted again Unus. He couldn't believe he was going to fight a mechanical wolf. That was until Unus attacked him. At first Animal Man was content to channel a spider monkey and swing up to the top of a flag pole.

But the Unus' steel jaws severed the base of the pole, bringing it down. Animal Man rammed Unus with the might of a rhino but without a horn, there was no real punch to it. So he tried a tiger's claws which barely scratched Unus' surface.

Finally, Animal Man wised up and channeled a golden eagle and carried Unus out to the bay and dropped him into the water.

* * *

Crimson Fox faced Secundus. Neither her metal claws or her own feral nature worked against the cyber wolf. And her powerful and seductive pheromones just confused it and made Secundus angrier. Only Crimson Fox's own fox-like agility and speed kept her ahead of Secundus' jaws.

The Animal Man swooped and soared off ferrying Secundus out to the bay to join Unus. When he returned, Crimson Fox threw her arms around him and passionately kissed him, "My hero. How shall I ever repay you?"

"You could answer a single question, my senses are good but I've never been able to distinguish between Constance and Vivian. I know only one of you joined the JLA. Which one are you?"

Crimson Fox laughed with delight, "I am Vivian, of course. Forgive me for not saying so earlier but women must have their little secrets."

"Or at least French women," Animal Man countered.

"And are we not the most desired on the planet?" Crimson Fox asked in a cocky manner.

"With pheromones like yours and Constance's, of course every man wants you," Animal Man admitted.

"Not just that," Crimson Fox said wearily, "But all French women. Our mysteriousness makes us attractive."

"I'll just take your word for it," Animal Man decided not to fight over it.

" _Oui_ , that is for the best, _Mon Cherie_ ," Crimson Fox decided to reward Animal Man with another kiss.

* * *

Ri severed hydraulic and power lines all throughout Tertius' chassis so he withdrew to find his cyber pack brethren. Ri discovered Artemiz had begun targeting Darknight. He'd evaded two arrows. And been fast enough to swat two away with his customary batons. Then she'd embedded an arrow in each baton.

Ri sliced Artemiz's bow in half. Artemiz pulled out her backup knife. Ri disarmed her. Artemiz retreated back into Gilotina. Gilotina had retrieved her swords but they were sheathed. Katana stood nearby, observing.

"Let's go find your cyber pack," Gilotina urged.

Artemiz saw Gilotina's bloody hands, "I think you're right."

As the two Female Furies retreated, Darknight embraced Ri, "Thank you. Her next shots would have hit me."

"I couldn't let her kill the father of my future children," Ri said bluntly.

"We have never discussed family," Darknight was startled, "Has that day come?"

"We no longer live under China's restrictions regarding families and numbers of births," Ri reminded him, "So that time has come."

"Can I suggest to you we discuss this further at the Hall of Justice?" Darknight asked, "I promise you, you won't be disappointed."

* * *

Batwoman studied Wunda. She seemed harmless enough. And then the New God merged into a UPS truck and started the engine and drove straight at Kathy Duquesne. Batwoman dodged it and the truck smashed into LexCorp lobby.

Wunda transferred herself into the building's security system. Hidden automated guns in the lobby opened fire at the reception staff. Batwoman paged Ralph.

"Reboot the computer system!" she shouted at Elongated Man over the gunfire through the radio connection.

"Why?" Ralph was being dense.

"Just do it, you oversized rubber band!" Batwoman screamed.

Wunda was ejected from the security system a few seconds later. Batwoman took the opportunity to beat the crap out of her while she was still human-like. Kathy took great delight in watching Wunda simply fall over.

* * *

Speed Queen tore down the street. Her rocket pack propelled her and her in-line skates allowed her to move faster than most people could see. And she randomly shot at people just for the hell of it.

Behind her Trajectory tried to catch up. But Trajectory wasn't a Flash, either Jay or Wally. But she was a good counterpart to Jesse Quick or a member of Red Trinity. Rumor had it Lady Flash took Velocity 9 to match the Flashes' speed.

Speed Queen occasionally threw a turn into the mix. But she always banked right. And Trajectory knew where her next turn would take her. So gambling that Speed Queen's pattern would hold, Trajectory took a right turn.

* * *

Speed Queen turned right and found herself speeding straight for the harbor. So she veered right again. Shooting at people alongside the bay front Speed Queen never saw Trajectory come racing out of a side street and rip her propulsion pack off.

Speed Queen awkwardly braked to a halt. Then she began volleying shots at Trajectory. But Eliza Harmon had the actual speed Speed Queen only pretended to have. So Trajectory slapped Speed Queen's guns away and decided to see just how fast she could repetitively hit someone.

Speed Queen went down after a hundred blows. Trajectory nursed her bruised knuckles, "Note to self: save that for a last resort."

* * *

Bloody Mary tried to consume Plastic Man's life essence only to discover Plas wasn't even remotely organic anymore. So he transformed into a cage she couldn't break out of despite her New God strength. He provided her a stool and she slumped on it, sulking.

* * *

"Uh…Vig? Why is that girl giving us a demented smile?" Vixen wondered about Malice Vundabar.

"Ah have no cotton pickin' durn idea," Vigilante admitted, "Why don't Ah ask her?"

"You look like a cattle rustler. You might scare her," Vixen countered, "I'll do it myself."

"Yes, ma'am," Vigilante tipped his hat to her, "Just be careful. That ain't no normal look in her eyes."

Vixen reached Malice, "Excuse me honey, but are you lost?"

"No, but you are," Malice replied.

"Why would you say that?" Vixen wondered.

"You just look lost," Malice replied.

"What's your name?" Vixen tried to normalize the conversation.

"Malice Vundabar," she eagerly answered.

"Did you say, 'Malice'?" Vixen thought the child's parents had a cruel streak.

"Would you like to play with Chessy?" Malice suddenly asked.

"Is he your friend?" Vixen asked.

"Yes, he's right over there," Malice pointed at an empty space.

"Honey, there's no one there," Vixen tried to convince Malice.

"That's just because you can't see him yet," Malice wore her demented smile again, "Would you like to?"

"Um…sure," Vixen was uncertain of what was happening.

''"Chessure, come!" Malice commanded and the shadow demon appeared, "Look, Chessy! Fresh meat!"

Vixen raced back to Vigilante's said. He exclaimed, "Holy hoosegows! She's wunna them!"

"Brilliant deduction, cowboy," Vixen quipped, "How do we stop…whatever that is?"

Vigilante fire a few hyperkinetic bullets at Chessure as a test run. The shadow demon snapped at them. Malice grew impatient.

"Bad Chessy," she scolded it, "Don't play with your food. Just eat it."

Chessure resumed his march on Vigilante and Vixen. Vixen turned to Vigilante, "Vig, shoot the girl."

"Whut? She's just a kid, Mari," Vigilante protested.

"Trust me. She's a New God. You could drop LexCorp Tower on her and she'd survive," Vixen tried to persuade him, "Have I ever steered you wrong?"

"Now that ya mention it…" Vig began to argue.

"Just shoot the damn kid or we die!" Vixen stressed, "Is that plain enough."

Vigilante shot past Chessure and struck Malice down. With his link to the outer realms severed, Chessure returned to his own hell dimension. Vigilante took it in.

"Good thinkin', Mari. But Ah'm checkin' on the kid just to be sure she's okay," Vigilante did his own insisting.

"And you wouldn't be my hero if you didn't," Vixen confided.

* * *

Question reached Huntress to find her dodging Stompa. Stompa roared, "Hold still, you little worm."

"Is she insulting you?" Question asked Huntress.

"You really have no idea," Helena Bertinelli shared.

"I'll show her the error of her ways," Vic Sage promised his wife, "Just keep her distracted."

"What?" Huntress was incredulous. Q picked now of all times to get all chivalrous?

Question ducked around the side of the city transit bus. Huntress made herself visible and shot a crossbow bolt into Stompa's chest. Stompa pulled it out.

"This is a joke, right?" she inquired.

A chunk of loose asphalt hit Stompa in the side of the head, "All right, who wants to die?"

"You couldn't hit a chicken crossing the road," Question mocked her.

"We'll see about that," Stompa promised, "And what the hell is a chicken anyway?"

Question ducked around the bus again. Stompa followed. She saw that he'd tripped and his trench coat and hat were splayed out with his body underneath them. She jumped on top and let her antimatter soles in her boots eat their way through.

And she dropped into the sewer through the open manhole that had been covered by bus seat cushions in turn covered by Question's coat. He deftly retrieved and donned his fedora, "Perhaps this will teach you to look before you leap."

"Grr!" Stompa grows upon discovered there was no ladder to climb up with.

Question sealed the manhole with the metal cover, "She'll have to travel a bit to find a way out."

"Pretty slick, Q," Huntress admitted.

"Why do you ever doubt me?" Questions asked.

"Seriously?" Huntress retorted as she pulled a list out of her utility belt, "Because I've got a list written down. Want me to read it?"

"Well, maybe not," Question decided.

"No, I think now is a perfect time," Huntress argued, "Or do you want the list to grow by one entry?"

Question plucked the list out of her hand and tore it up, "I think we're done reading."

"Hot damn!" Huntress thrilled, "I like this side of you."

* * *

Nightwing had been set upon by Mad Harriet. Besides Mad Harriet being aptly named, she was as agile as Nightwing and carried her electro spikes on her knuckles. Nightwing was reminded of the Joker and his joy buzzers. But unlike the Joker, Mad Harriet was a skilled fighter. So it surprised Nightwing regarding how fast he knocked her out.

* * *

"Hold still, you preening popinjay!" Bernadeth snarled as General Gory somersaulted over her head again.

"The fighting spirit of democracy doesn't dawdle. Rather the Son of Liberty fights with every breath at every moment justice is threatened," General Glory pontificated using a technique Joe Jones had taught him.

Joe had discovered florid patriotic speeches drove opponents nuts. They'd lose all composure and reason just for an attempt to shut General Glory up. Which usually afforded the General the opportunity he needed to shut the fight down.

Except for Ambush Bug, who'd actually stood at attention and saluted him.

"Shut up and stand still!" Bernadeth cried out in frustration.

"Can freedom ever be silenced?" General Glory resumed as he moved all around Bernadeth, staying just out of reach, "Can democracy ever be quelled once it's been tasted?"

"I swear your tongue is the first thing I'm cutting off," Bernadeth wearily vowed, wiping her brow.

"Can law and order, once established, ever be separated from freedom's true spirit? And can freedom exist without self expression? Can self expression endure without the guarantee of civil rights?" General Glory could see his opportunity opening up.

"For the love of Darkseid, just please shut up," Bernadeth mumbled.

General Glory's round kick to her raw woke her up, "Can the plight of the huddled few over be overrun by the weight of favored masses? Can the one be ignored by freedom's laws in order to promote the many? "

General Glory kept asking questions while blocking stabbing attempts by Bernadeth. And he kept hammering away at her jaw with punches and kicks. Bernadeth swept across her chest with a Feron blade. General Glory caught the arm on the backstroke. He snapped it in half.

She dropped one Feron blade but clutched onto the second, "I'll…I'll kill you!"

"Many have tried to silence the Son of Liberty but the spirits of oppression and tyranny wither and die when confronted with freedom's taste as it sweeps across every God given nation," General Glory spouted as he caught Bernadeth's other arm. He snapped her wrist and then twisted it into an unnatural angle. She screamed as she dropped the second Feron blade.

"Say goodnight, oppressor," General Glory's final right cross knocked Bernadeth out.

"That was…something," Nightwing admitted as General Glory turned to find the entire JLA had bore witness the end of the fight.

"Something I learned from the original General Glory. It usually works and it seems to come naturally with the uniform," Donovan Wallace admitted.

"It was brilliant!" Trajectory enthused.

Nightwing thought it would be interesting to see if Trajectory's hero worship would go any further, "Question, get back to Ralph."

Blue flashes suddenly yanked away the Female Furies. Plastic Man changed shape back to his usual self, "ISA signatures? No way!"

"It seems we have multiple moles," Nightwing deduced, "Plas, I think you're our best bet for getting a straight answer from the ISA."

"I need to go alone," Plastic Man warned, "I'll get Penny and Hula Hula and we can ask the Chief what's going on. If anyone else comes along it'll just rub it in the Chief's face we left her agency to join the JLU."

"All right," Nightwing conceded, "Do what you deem necessary."

""You think Luthor has an active informant in LexCorp. Not just a number cruncher," Trajectory stated.

"It's the entire reason we're here," Nightwing reminded her, "But you have an in with the security division. See who they believe is on the payroll who would take money from Luthor."

"That could be a long list," Trajectory warned.

"Do what you can to shrink it down to manageable size," Nightwing requested, "Take General Glory with you. He's an experienced investigator."

Nightwing almost laughed as Trajectory suddenly wanted the assignment, "Batwoman, I need any information Duquesne Security can dredge up on contracts to LexCorp affiliates and subsidiaries."

"That type of information was only to be given in an emergency," Batwoman protested.

"You don't think this counts?" Nightwing asked.

"An' whut `bout the rest of us, pard?" Vigilante asked.

"We stand by and wait for the Legion's next move," Nightwing hated to say. He wanted a more active role as much as anyone else.


	24. Chapter 24

22

Lobo delivered Mongul to Darkseid as agreed. His financial rewards were enough to purchase his own Warworld. But the opportunity to continue in Darkseid's employment offered even greater risks and rewards. Both of which Lobo thrived on.

Mongul had been beaten within an inch of his life. But even so humbled, the former despot was an insidiously dangerous sentient. Darkseid had prepared a holding cell to transfer a Kryptonian into. Mongul would be held there under heavy guard.

Lobo could see Apokolips was mustering for war. The war footing had troops and the Elite alike using boom tubes and other means of transportation to pierce the dimensional wall where the planet hung between the multiverse and Hell. New Genesis lay nearby suspended between the multiverse and Heaven. Beyond both lay the Source Wall.

"Most impressive, bounty hunter," Darkseid admitted as the two gazed upon the scattered fire pits that gave Apokolips its energy. Near those self inflicted wounds, the Lowlies and the Hunger Dogs toiled and labored to keep the war machine operating. The Lowlies were the menials and the Hunger Dogs were the skilled laborers who were also drafted as foot soldiers in intervals in preparation for exceptionally heavy losses for Darkseid's ambitious gains.

Amidst those great labors, Vreti and her Hunger Dogs Underground comrades sought a way to stymie the great onslaught Darkseid was unrolling upon the multiverse. Rumors circulated the human Justice League had confronted Darkseid's minions on the worlds labeled Earth-2, Earth-3, and Earth-9. But they'd returned to Earth Prime and grown complacent. The desperate goal now was to acquire a boom tube controller and spirit Vreti away to Earth Prime to consult with the Flash. Wally West knew Vreti and her cause and also knew she wasn't prone to exaggeration when she would tell him Darkseid's plan to choke off all fifty-one universes surrounding the Prime Universe and then collapse in on the final prize before marching on the outer dimensions and then Heaven itself.

"Would you prefer to slink away and enjoy your bountiful wealth or would you like to pursue even more rewarding challenges?" Darkseid inquired of Lobo.

"What'tcha got in mind fer the Main Man, crag face?" Lobo retorted.

Darkseid allowed the slight, once, "I require two things to begin with. But only when I call for them. It will require patience as well as delicacy."

"Hey, I'm a patient and delicate _bastich_ ," Lobo assured him.

"I'm sure you are," Darkseid was amused by the blatant lie, "In addition to a retainer to guarantee your services when I require them I will additionally recompense you for any lost bounties you abandon to serve my needs."

"Ya got my fraggin' attention," Lobo promised.

"Beware, Last Czarnian, I tolerate your flippancy only because you have proven useful. Fail me once, and your usefulness ends. Am I understood?" Darkseid advised him.

"Yer clear as mud, stone butt," Lobo quipped, "Now, what `bout those fraggin' contracts? Let's talk mullah. Who ya got a hard on fer?"

"I want you to deliver two distinguished persons to my presence," Darkseid's deep bass rumbled within him, "The first is merely a blood sample from the clone of Supergirl known as Galatea. Of course, Galatea has adopted the code name 'Power Girl' after her doppelganger from Earth-2. Simpering sentimentality aside, Power Girl has the key to unlocking the cloning process in regards to Kryptonian stock."

"I'll make `er bleed plenty," Lobo promised.

"Beware, bounty hunter. Power Girl is even more powerful than Kalea-El and is as highly trained," Darkseid advised him, "I believe you will find her nearly as ruthless as well."

"An' the second mark?" Lobo yawned.

"The Marvel formerly known as Mary Marvel. Black Mary now possesses the cumulative strength of four separate Marvels. Three originally doled out on Earth-3 and one on Earth Prime. Black Mary is stronger, faster, and more divinely wise than any foe you will ever encounter. And the Egyptian gods are nurturing the darkness I originally gestated within her. The Source may have ejected my inner shadow but Mary never sought to affect a repair of her soul, merely to quell its darkest impulses," Darkseid informed Lobo, "As such, her time in the Subtle Realms has caused her to embrace my darkness and make it her own. All thanks to the newfound influence of the Egyptian pantheon whom I have a pact with."

"The Main Man is _yer_ man, crag face," Lobo whooped, "I got me an itch in my shorts ta bust some Kryptonian broad's face in."

"I've given you one warning, bounty hunter," Darkseid's eyes glowed with the Omega Effect.

"What `bout the Marvel chicky-poo? It ain't like she'll come reasonable-like. I'll have ta get…persuasive," Lobo warned him.

"I want Black Mary delivered unharmed," Darkseid reiterated, "If you cannot accomplish this, it would be better for you to admit so now."

"The Main Man can do anythin'," Lobo boasted, "And why the hell is this chick so important ta ya anyhoo?"

"Black Mary is my chosen vessel to defeat my daughter, Grail," Darkseid revealed.

"Hey, pay me enough an' I'll spank the little bitch fer ya," Lobo offered,

"Grail commands my Omega Effect. That is something that can even destroy the likes of you, Last Czarnian," Darkseid warned Lobo, "And she has no patience for your brand of ill humor. Black Mary has four portions of the divine endowments of the gods as funneled by a Lord of Order. She will suffice to serve my needs. And she will do so as an act of worship, not for mercenary gain."

"Hey! It's always `bout mercenary gain," Lobo countered, "Don't ever ferget that, crag face."

"Have you decided then?" Darkseid wearily asked.

"The price is right an' I've been lookin' fer a new challenge so yer on," Lobo gave him a middle fingered salute, "Be seein' ya, boss."

"Shall I have him followed?" Steppenwolf exited the hidden alcove where he'd stood by.

"Unnecessary," Darkseid assured him, "Lobo craves both the financial rewards and the accolades that will be heaped upon his reputation if he succeeds."

"And if he fails?" Steppenwolf wondered.

"Then he dies by an enemy's hand or by my own. No great loss either way," Darkseid decided.

"And if he approaches Grail to open negotiations?" Steppenwolf inquired.

"Lobo may be brutal, perverse, and sadistic but he is no fool," Darkseid promised, "He will locate Grail and leave her to me. Now, for your other news?"

"Mortalla is pregnant," Steppenwolf announced without preamble.

"So the false whelp Orion has impregnated my wife," Darkseid chuckled, "I wasn't certain he had it in him after Bekka filleted his manhood."

"Should I have her put to death?" Steppenwolf eagerly wondered.

"No, Orion's spawn will be raised by Granny Goodness to serve me and me alone. Orion will come to 'liberate' his bastard offspring to take it to New Genesis. Once he arrives, I will inform him Mortalla's life, and the life of this child, depend upon his serving me."

Steppenwolf chuckled malevolently, "As ever, Master. Your machinations go a step beyond."

"Which is why I always win in the end," Darkseid rumbled with pleasure.

* * *

Hours passed by inside LexCorp as Nightwing led the Question and Elongated Man's search through financial records. Huntress sent Katana to the roof with Animal Man and Crimson Fox in case of a second attack against the investigators. With Wonder Woman, Power Girl, and Hawkman standing by as heavy muscle and Vibe with the actual investigative team, Huntress was able to spare Vigilante, Vixen, Ri, and Darknight to go to local restaurants and delis and acquire food.

LexCorp's mail staff was more than happy to deliver the food. Huntress had been especially worried about Trajectory. General Glory purportedly received sustenance and endurance directly from his fabled "Spirit of Lady Liberty" but Trajectory's metabolism ran dangerously high. As high as either Flash's.

Jay Garrick had done studies to determine why he and Wally West processed the Speed Force more efficiently than Jesse Quick, Red Trinity, or Blue Trinity's sole survivor. Lady Flash made up for the deferential by taking Velocity 9. The others, Eliza Harmon included, ingested copious amounts of calories just as the Flashes did.

Whatever the case, food was welcomed by all.

* * *

Trajectory and General Glory eventually presented Nightwing with a list of twenty names. Each person listed had employment related to their field outside of LexCorp. Artists and artisans weren't included since their financial disclaimers attributed additional income to their wholly owned separate endeavors. All intellectual and creative copyrights were held in their entirety by the creators themselves and did not infringe on LexCorp's holdings. But Mercy Graves was looking into devising a creative arts division to exploit such talent.

"Give this list to Huntress. Have her send teams to investigate five groups assigned to four names apiece," Nightwing instructed, "Leaving Vibe here with my team and Power Girl, Artemis, and Hawkman to guard LexCorp itself."

"Will do," Trajectory vanished with a rush of air in her wake.

"She keeps doing that," General Glory was embarrassed to admit, "Us mere mortals strive to keep up."

"I bet," Nightwing smirked. It was like going swimming with Ulla.

* * *

Animal Man and Crimson Fox were doled out four names. They were driven by LexCorp Security to Dennis Wade, Elise Furlong, and Wade Graves' dwellings with little success. But Joanna Netz was obviously hiding something. Her increasing nervousness was heightened even further by the negative stimuli women had to Crimson Fox's pheromone load.

It created a competitive mating drive in fellow women. Now Joanna began boasting in greater depth and detail regarding her accomplishments in order to seem more attractive and successful than Crimson Fox. And she let it slip that she had a secret project developing at Wayne-Powers Enterprises in direct competition to her work with LexCorp. As soon as she'd spoken the truth she knew she'd already revealed too much.

Animal Man alerted LexCorp's Security Division and they took Joanna in for an investigation which could lead to breach of contract and trade secrets theft charges against her. LexCorp at least let her lock up before she left. Animal Man and Crimson Fox received a second car to drive them back to LexCorp itself.

"Did that feel right to you?" Animal Man asked Crimson Fox while they waited for their ride.

" _Mon Cherie_ , both Constance and I have filled in as CEO before she took over the role permanently. You must protect your company's secrets or you will lose your competitive edge to those that would destroy you," Crimson Fox promised him, "Of course, Constance enjoyed the boardroom games while I prefer the hunt."

"So I was hunted," Animal Man realized.

"Of course, but the trick is to make the prey feel like the hunter," Crimson Fox winked at him, "I tried to catch you but you always evaded my snare. Until you wanted to be caught. And then my hopeless weeks of waiting ended."

"You really are something of a vixen," Animal Man realized.

" _Oui_ , but don't tell, Mari. She would be so jealous," Crimson Fox laughed.

* * *

Ri and Darknight struck gold on their first visit. Kenneth Long practically threw himself at their feet to confess of more than just corporate sabotage. He was also a spy for the People's Republic of China.

Afterwards, the FBI was brought in and LexCorp sent their own liaison to the Bureau to ascertain what damage had been done. LexCorp Security's detail then took Ri and Darknight to visit Wendy Liu, Quentin Wu, and Mark Kim but they all passed scrutiny. So the couple returned to LexCorp.

* * *

Feodor Analov was a bust and so were Jess Sanders and Hans Guter. But Vigilante and Vixen helped determine E'toka M'bosa was guilty. While Vig steered M'bosa through standard questions, Vixen used her animal totem to channel a bloodhound's senses. And she quickly deduced their suspect was profusely lying.

With Vixen acting as a lie detector, Vigilante narrowed the questioning down. Vixen strayed towards M'bosa's home office and entered in to find a notebook filled with notations in Swahili. Which she read and spoke fluently. The evidence was damning.

"We got him," Vixen announced as she exited the office, "Everything LexCorp needs is in this."

M'bosa sagged. Vixen spoke in Swahili, "Next time as least use an encryption."

* * *

Trajectory and General Glory also found pay dirt on their first stop. While Trajectory rustled up LexCorp Security, General Glory's patriotically themed speech linked corporate espionage to high treason and Amber West was led away sobbing. The replacement detail drove them to Doug Fairbanks' home where they found out he shared the apartment with Jerry Ford.

They were obviously a couple but they weren't even in a domestic partnership because Luthor had established an anti-marriage rule at LexCorp. One married, or legally entwined, partner had to leave the corporation's employ. So Doug and Jerry were an open secret at work because their coworkers maintained the illusion they weren't a couple and Mercy, like Talia Head before her, still left the policy unamended.

Doug and Jerry passed General Glory's litmus test and the JLers went to Liza Benneli. Benneli turned out to be a Mafia princess on the lam. Her family had ignored her business ambitions and marginalized her in favor of awarding her hand in marriage to a diligent _capo_. So Liza changed her name and left NYC for Metropolis where she got a Master's in night school while interning at LexCorp. General Glory and Trajectory promised to keep her secret safe.

* * *

Katana singlehandedly made Toyo Harada beg to confess to anything. Huntress had to admit her estimation of Katana rose to stellar proportions on that merit alone. After Harada was taken away and a new LexCorp Security team provided, Huntress and Katana checked out Franco Peretti. Peretti was a bust despite Huntress causing him to lose bladder control.

Hauser Goetz and Elfi Tirpitz were caught red handed. They were a secretly married couple from Frankfurt and Munich that had lied about their marital status when recruited by LexCorp. And they were being blackmailed because of it by a fellow employee in Human Resources. In order to pay the blackmail, Hauser and Elfi took on industry side jobs.

Huntress felt like crap as LexCorp Security took away Hauser and Elfi to interview them. The corrupt HR scum would likely lose his job but so would Hauser and Elfi. And LexCorp would probably insure they lost their green cards as well since they were corporately sponsored. So no one won in the deal.

* * *

LexCorp threw lawyers and investigators at the supposedly non-detained employees. But none revealed a hidden connection with Luthor. The mole that had tipped Luthor off to the JLA's presence at LexCorp – Metropolis remained covertly imbedded in the company. But Nightwing's team found four corporate holdings that were acquired with LexCorp seed money but retained Luthor as a silent partner.

LexCorp had no oversight or policy author over the four companies. But Luthor was the single largest stockholder in each. The list included, but might ultimately expand beyond, Dura-Steel, StarrWare Software, Wet Works Security, and OmniTech.

Nightwing shared all of the details with Mercy Grave and left her to clean her own house while the Justice League of America departed to report their findings to JLA Director Amanda Waller. ARGUS' legal teams could then consult with the Justice Department and see how the government wanted to proceed with the matters.

* * *

Kathy Duquesne hadn't learned of any rival company's association with Luthor. But then Nightwing called in the information regarding Wet Works Security. Wet Works provided more than traditional security. They also provided mercenary services. So Kathy took everything her company had on them and relocated to the secret headquarters Sonia Alcona, Rocki Ballantine, and Kathy had established for their shared identity of Batwoman.

To Kathy's surprise, Rocki's costume was missing as well as one of the Bat Gliders. A rarified smart metal batarang was also lifted from the arsenal as well as traditional variants Batman, Inc. had provided and either paraphernalia as well. Kathy couldn't imagine Rocki taking up the mask again after what she'd said after they'd helped Margo Collins track down and accost Catman. But unless a stranger had managed to copy Kathy or Rocki's biometric data to get past the security system, there was no other explanation.

But Kathy also had a nagging worry over Margo. Sonia would've left lots of prints all over their apartment. Could the disgraced Chicago PD detective be on the hunt for Catman again?

Kathy pinged the transponder in Rocki's suit and found it registered as being in Monte Carlo. Catwoman and Catgirl had a mission underway in Monaco. If Rocki were with them, the obvious question was why and why hadn't Waller said anything to her?

* * *

Plastic Man, Penny, and Hula Hula reported to their old boss, the International Security Agency's Chief. She coolly received the trio, "I wish I could say it's a pleasant surprise to see you all again. But Matron of Spyral informed me you'd be coming to lay down a list of false accusations against her."

"Did she say why we'd do that?" Penny was curious to know.

"Matron asked the ISA for an interagency cooperative effort to move Spyral teams across the globe," the Chief stated, "She pointed out that ARGUS would be jealous and the JLA would send the three of you to accuse us of abetting the Legion of Doom. So let me be frank, this is a United Nations matter. We're cooperating with ARGUS but we're alerting Matron of JLA teleports so Spyral can keep tabs on you at all times."

Penny flashed Plas a knowing look. They'd just discovered who the mole was. It wasn't inside LexCorp. It was the ISA itself.

"Just one question before we go," Plastic Man offered, "Have you ever cleared Agent Wayne's request through Director Webb-Kane?"

"Get out," the Chief ordered.

After the teleport deck reported their exit, the Chief did finally contact Katherine Webb-Kane. And she learned about how Matron had never sought authorization to move Spyral assets through the ISA teleporter network, Spyral hadn't actually ever moved anyone through the network, and an arrest warrant had been issued for Helena Wayne for conspiring with the criminal entity now know as the Court of Owls.

The Chief reeled at the news. She had the teleport logs of where the ISA had been moving these mysterious parties. But if she handed them over to Spyral, then the ISA's complicity would become common knowledge amongst the UN bureaucracies. More to the point, ARGUS would learn who the ISA had been spying for and it likely included criminal elements. The Chief chose to bury the data rather than share it.

* * *

"It's time to collect the Shining Knight," Saturn Queen shared with her coconspirators.

"Brainiac reports he is at the K-Star Ranch," Cosmic King informed the group, "He's prepared a software version of a nuclear strike to bog down their AI, Roxy. While she's bedeviled, we can utilize the Justice Leagues to get in and out in a surgical fashion."

"But we need him multitasking to discover where the Crime Syndicate slipped off to," Lightning Lord unhappily reminded them both.

"Have Captain Cold prepare preliminary plans to free incarcerated Legionnaires," Saturn Queen urged, "Just as we previously discussed."

"Why do these primitives matter?" Lightning Lord was irritated by the request, "They don't amount to anything but cannon fodder anyway."

"But they presently serve as _our_ cannon fodder," Saturn Queen shot back at him, "We're about to enter the last phase of our operation. We need road blocks between the Justice Leagues and the remaining forces opposed to them. Kill enough of the allies and mopping up will be simplicity itself and prove our forces' resolve in the process."

"But why reward incompetence?" Lightning Lord complained.

"We've all been captured on occasion. Even you," Cosmic King argued, "Which accounts for us being trapped in the past to begin with."

"Very well," Lightning Lord relented.

"Laevar, exclude Booster Gold and Goldstar from the mission. Rip Hunter and the _Waverider_ will be appearing any minute now. Booster and Goldstar have a more important mission in securing the time craft than in capturing a lone knight," Saturn Queen pointed out.

* * *

Sir Justin had vanished. Roxy couldn't find him on the grounds. Flash offered to cover them, "Maybe I should check out the fence line and see where he's off to."

"I think I should do it instead, Jay," Jesse Quick replied, "He's more compliant with a woman's touch."

"But he is all about brotherhood and the chivalric code," Hourman reminded her.

"Which is why I'm still the better choice," Jesse insisted.

The power to the ranch went out. The backup generators kicked in but the computers were all still inoperative. Mr. Terrific checked several options.

"Roxy? You with us?" he asked and received no reply.

Anna Fortune conjured a long prepared spell that garbed everyone not in uniform. Hawk and Dove accomplished the same thing by speaking their Avatar names. The Marvels transformed through the utterance of their trigger names. The assembled All Stars moved outside for the inevitable conflict that was brewing.

Blackhawk Express' bunkhouse and airfields were still fully lit. Mike Dugan patched into Mr. Terrific, _"I'm with Roxy's servers and her diagnostic screens are showing a flurry of activity. Something invasive attacked Roxy. Best I can describe it as is a bomb. She's literally fighting for her life."_

"See how you can help, Mike," Mr. Terrific instructed.

* * *

Blue flashes filled the grounds and the air surrounding the All Stars. Superman gazed coldly down upon them all, "Surrender the Shining Knight and no one will be harmed."

"No," Lightning Lord sneered, "Surrender the knight and you'll endure a painless death."

The division this caused was obvious to the observant All Stars. Saturn Queen and Cosmic King obviously thought it a waste of effort and provocation. Superman, Martian Manhunter, the Atom, Apache Chief, Samurai, and Black Vulcan also seemed uncertain in the face of it.

"You can't possibly win," Saturn Queen tried to reinject reason into things, "These are friends who are willing to kill you at our behest. Are you prepared to do the same in return? Because you will face that choice, I assure you."

"You may wear the face of a friend, sister. But there ain't nuthin' that'll keep me from pushin' it in," Wildcat warned her.

"Really? Could you bring yourself to harm Tessa? Sir Justin's beloved wife?" Saturn Queen mocked his resolve, "How do you think he would react to that?"

"Come down here and find out, why don'cha?" Wildcat goaded her.

"Maybe later, after the preliminaries have finished," Saturn Queen mentally boosted her thoughts to accompany her voice, "Justice Leagues, obey your queen. Defeat the All Stars."

* * *

It was a titanic rematch in the making. Captain Marvel confronted Superman once again. But where Superman had been driven by paranoia and anger the first time they faced one another. This time it was misplaced loyalty imbedded into his psyche. This time Superman had reservations about fighting a friend he knew to be in the right. And Captain Marvel could see that.

"Fight it, Superman," Captain Marvel urged, "We could end up taking out upstate New York if we duke it out. Fight this and turn it around against Saturn Queen."

That triggered Superman's involuntary reflex and his punch sailed Captain Marvel out across the horizon and out to sea.

* * *

J'onn Jonzz fought Captain Marvel Jr. But where Junior's Marvel form was more powerful than J'onn, the Martian knew enough to telepathically force Junior to recite Captain Marvel's name and revert him to being Freddy Freeman. Then it took the lightest of J'onn's blows to knock Freddy out.

* * *

Flash was overwhelmed by sudden, intense dizziness that laid him out. As Jay groped in an effort to recover, vertigo gripped him so severely, he passed out. Then the Atom exited his inner ear and grew beside Flash's fallen form.

"Sorry, Jay. I really did hate to do that," Atom lamented.

* * *

"Don't make me do this, man," Black Vulcan implored Aztek as the All Star floated before him.

"Then just don't do it," Aztek retorted.

"It isn't that simple," Black Vulcan complained.

Aztek landed on his feet and Black Vulcan shook his head in defeat, "You never should have grounded yourself."

Black Vulcan's electrical powers conducted through Aztek's armor and stunned Curt Falconer, "I got to find a better way to fight this conditioning."

* * *

Metamorpho studied the reticent Samurai, "Well? Ain't ya gonna try and kill me?"

"Perhaps we could take a moment to discuss what has happened up until this point," Samurai suggested.

"Like hell we will! Yer goin' down, ex-pal," Metamorpho transmuted into a cloud of nitrous oxide.

Samurai summoned Category 5 hurricane force winds and dispersed Metamorpho across upstate New York. Samurai looked inconsolable, "Not the best conversation I've ever had."

* * *

"Remember, I know your tricks, Chief," Commander Steel referenced all of the sparring sessions he'd trained with Apache Chief with.

"Perhaps you do not know all of them just yet," Apache Chief warned him, "Which would mean it is time to find an alternative to fighting."

"No one is surrendering to you traitors," Commander Steel promised, "The JSA All Stars don't fold because our so-called 'friends' become super villains."

"There are so many errors to your logic it staggers the mind to try and comprehend them all," Apache Chief sighed, "I hardly enjoy doing what I am forcibly compelled to do yet I am unable to stop myself. But I, and others, have made headway or else we would already be fighting."

"So this 'Saturn Queen' really controls you?" Commander Steel asked.

"Yes," Apache Chief wearily asserted.

"Then let's say I was to try and take her out?" Commander Steel asked.

Apache Chief rushed Commander Steel and phased his hand into the man's chest. Inside it, Apache Chief slipped through Commander Steel's artificial heart and increased his density by several measures. It interrupted the operation of the heart and Commander Steel suffered a mechanical version of a heart attack.

As Commander Steel slumped to the ground, Apache Chief pitied him, "Unfortunately, the strongest imperative that we all have is to defend our queen."

* * *

While it was true no person could touch Judomaster unless she allowed it, a human being transformed into water didn't face that block. Cascade transmuted herself into a bubble that engulfed Judomaster completely. After Sonia Sato was half drowned, the Indonesian woman called Cascade reverted back to being human. Judomaster lay helplessly at her feet hacking and coughing up water. Cascade wondered if she should feel anything.

* * *

"So you're supposed to be a demigod," Hourman sized up the enormously bulked up Olympian.

"It is true," Olympian boasted, "And I received power from the Golden Fleece as well as my own native god-like attributes."

"All that and modesty too," Hourman quipped.

Olympian tipped his head and used the ram's head cowl he wore as part of the Golden Fleece and charged into Hourman's jaw before he injected Miraclo. Hourman lay sprawled across the dirt and Olympian exalted in his victory.

"Soon, I will compile enough victories to earn my place amongst the pantheon of gods," Olympian promised himself.

* * *

Jesse Quick had been enveloped by a maelstrom. Sandstorm converted himself into being his namesake. He blew Jesse across the ranch courtyard and beat her off of ranch house walls until she was knocked out. Then he became human again and awaited further instruction from his queen.

* * *

Tundra evaded Sand's earth moving attacks and then she created a blizzard to force him into assuming his silicate form. Once he was literally composed of sand, she blew him apart with an Arctic wind. Having scattered Sand across the K-Star Ranch and beyond, she felt it was safe to assume it would take him some time to recompose himself.

* * *

"Ow!" Tasmanian Devil recoiled and rubbed his nose, "Watch it, mate."

"Ya used ta be a contender, Taz. Now yer a second rate henchman. What happened ta ya?" Wildcat wondered.

"No bloke calls me that and escapes a beating," Tasmanian Devil swore.

"Shoot! I was hopin' ya'd go fer it," Wildcat proceeded into Tasmanian Devil like the ex-heavyweight champion that he was.

* * *

Dr. Mid-Nite swiftly discovered the Hood was as used to operating in pitch black as Dr. Mid-Nite himself. And while the Hood was no Batman, he was a former member of Batman, Inc. Chosen by Batman himself to represent the ideal in his home country.

And as such, he'd received a high degree of hand to hand combat instruction. Higher than Dr. Mid-Nite anyway. When the blackout bomb dissipated, Hood was left standing next to the fallen Dr. Mid-Nite.

* * *

Nightrunner literally ran up a wall to drop in behind Cyclone. It took a single nerve chop to bring her down afterwards. And nearby, Dark Ranger quickly sorted out reality from illusion and put an end to King Chimera's struggles.

* * *

Dr. Light simply stood outside of Lightning's effective range until the girl had tired out. Then Kimiyo Hoshi volleyed a single photon blast into Lightning and knocked Jennifer Pierce out. At one time, Dr. Light would have reveled in such an easy victory. But now it seemed inappropriate.

* * *

Atom Smasher was completely unprepared for just how strong Maxi-Man was. Al Rothstein had always considered one of the founding members of the Conglomerate to be a joke. Maxi-Man's joining the Global Guardians hadn't improved Atom Smasher's opinion nor had the creation of the Justice League International. But Maxi-Man beat Atom Smasher unconscious before the big man could mount an effective defense.

* * *

Seraph was simply no match to Sentinel and his magic power ring. The power of the Green Flame overwhelmed the Israeli hero in seconds. Afterwards, Alan Scott surveyed the landscape to see where he was needed most.

* * *

Rising Sun melted down Mr. Terrific's T-Spheres. Then he nearly incinerated the man himself. Rising Sun took a moment to congratulate himself afterwards on such a staggering victory.

* * *

Stargirl knew Starman processed solar energy the way her Cosmic Rod and Cosmic Convertor Belt did. Prince Gavyn did this naturally but he was unable to use any of his powers without the harnessing bracelets that he wore. So Courtney Whitmore decided to test Starman's limits.

Throwing the full might of her cosmic equipment at Starman, she charged him like a solar cell until he was ready to explode with raw energy. Ascending into orbit, he discharged the extra energy and then passed out amongst the satellites he'd ruined.

* * *

Batman had sent the free members of the Justice League International to assist the All Stars in case of an attack. With Goldilocks already kidnapped, Shining Knight had seemed an obvious target to him. But Saturn Queen sensed their presence and Lightning Lord led a force to capture the nearby Shining Knight and deal with the JLI.

Godiva fought against the father/son team of Man-of-Bats and Raven Red. She'd barely manage to restrain one when the other would distract her with an attack. As the second party came under her control, the first would accidently be released. Wondering where in the hell Killer Frost had disappeared to, Godiva succumbed to the combined attack of Man-of-Bats and Raven Red.

* * *

Wingman managed to locate Gypsy despite her camouflage ability. Gypsy was hardly a proficient hand to hand combatant. A fact Wingman took advantage of.

* * *

Little Mermaid barely kept ahead of Fire and Ice's attack. Fire was dehydrating Ulla and Ice threatened to freeze her at every opportunity. Finally they both succeeded. Ulla managed to shatter the ice covering her and flee out to the nearest source of open water.

* * *

Black Bat maintained a relentless pace against Reverb. Her continuous physical assaults and thrown hand weapons made him constantly maintain a vibrational wave front. And Black Bat stayed ahead of the wave. Eventually she managed to slip behind him and knock him out.

Squire stood by while the Knight fought Batwing to a standstill with his electro sword. Batwing's batons were made of fiberglass and weren't conductive. Black Bat dropped the Squire with a single blow. Then she alerted the Knight to her presence. As Knight grew apoplectic, Batwing pummeled him into the dirt.

"Thanks yet again," Batwing offered Black Bat.

"Don't thank me so quickly," Cassandra Cain warned him.

* * *

Lightning Lord struck Praxis down at range rather than get close to the supernaturally powered mentalist. Lightning Lord pulled out the still standing JLers. Black Bat advised Batwing.

"Secure the prisoners and tend to our fallen," she stated, "I will track down the Shining Knight and Killer Frost."

* * *

Cosmic King tried different lethal transmutations on Hawk and Dove. But they recovered from anything and everything. So he pulled back and let the JLI deal with them.

Superman dropped off Captain Marvel's unconscious body. The JLI was battling Sentinel, Wildcat, Stargirl, Hawk, and Dove. The Super Friends and his fellow JLU members stood by ostensibly awaiting Saturn Queen's further instruction.

Superman received Saturn Queen's orders in his mind and he snuck up on Anna Fortune as she battled Saturn Queen. He took her out with a single punch. The he laid her to rest on the ground.

"Excellent work," Saturn Queen congratulated him.

"Stand fast! Thou shalt return my wife to me or I shall run thee through with my blade," Sir Justin declared.

"And how will that get you Tessa back?" Saturn Queen asked.

"At least she shall know peace at last!" Shining Knight snarled, "Do what you may, demoness. I shall fight thee with my dying breath."

And then Sir Justin froze over. Saturn Queen smirked, "I wondered who you'd choose in the end."

"Miss me?' Killer Frost vamped.

"Your absence was noted," Saturn Queen said dismissively, "Whether for my purposes or not. In the end it didn't matter."

"Sorry to disappoint," Killer Frost drolly replied.

"Hold that thought," Saturn Queen summoned the JLers and the LSV. Blue teleport flashes removed them from the scene.

Sentinel used his ring to probe the area, "They really are gone."

"But we have prisoners," Black Bat announced as she made her presence known, "Reverb, the Knight and Squire have all been captured."

"Does anyone have a clue as to why they attacked in the first place?" Dove wondered.

"Their intent was to capture the Shining Knight," Black Bat reported, "And they succeeded."

"But why?" Stargirl had to wonder.

"Why did they capture Goldilocks?" Cassandra asked.

"They wanted him awfully badly. They had the opportunity to make off with most of us, yet they left the bulk of the team behind," Sentinel realized.

Black Bat needed to confer with Godiva to ascertain Killer Frost's true intentions in this matter.

* * *

Sir Justin had been thawed and disarmed. Cosmic King created manacles to hold him and had him on his knees before Saturn Queen in a briefing room. Lightning Lord brought in Goldilocks and buckled her knees as well. Saturn Queen knew her moment of revenge was at hand.

Cosmic King gagged Sir Justin when he began pontificating. Eve Aries plunged deep into Goldilocks' psyche and shoved Tessa's personality into Goldilocks' fragmented mind. It immediately took hold.

Saturn Queen withdrew, "Get ready!"

"Oi! What the bloody hell do you think you're doing in my mind?" Goldilocks protested.

"Isn't she supposed to change?" Cosmic King wondered.

"Can we just kill them already?" Lightning Lord was impatient.

"Something's wrong. Maybe her mind needs more time to adapt," Saturn Queen plucked at possibilities.

Sir Justin wondered what had they expected? Goldilocks to become someone else? What foolishness could that be?

"Lock them away in her room," Saturn Queen instructed, "We have time for this."

"You'd better be right, Eve. The last thing we need is for them to escape," Lightning Lord warned her.

"That won't be happening," Saturn Queen assured him.

* * *

Sentinel reported in the attacks to the Hall of Justice. The JLI stayed on with the All Stars in case of a second strike while Roxy recuperated from the cyber attack from Brainiac. Batman decided to call in the Teen Titans and divvy up the JLA into two squads to assist the Justice League Unlimited.

The Injusticers would be employed against a target. The Titans were still rehabilitating Arsenal so Batman wanted to leave Deathstroke to it. Batman would personally lead the dual JLU/JLA force. Col. Trevor would lead the purely JLA team. Red Robin was still leading the Teen Titans but White Rabbit had sent Ravager on an errand. Nyssa Raatko would naturally oversee the activities of the Injustice League, Injustice Rogues, and Injustice Titans.

Batman also knew Deathstroke had dispatched Horus to Kahndaq to ascertain what the Black Marvels were doing there. And Catwoman's team would be returning back to the United States on the red eye flight out of Monaco.

* * *

Batman's team went to Dura-Steel Conglomerates. A mining and metals refining corporation based out of Pittsburgh. Dura-Steel had quietly cornered the market of metals and where moving into minerals and rare earth elements. Batman used the JLA's law enforcement authority to get in the door.

The while the lawyers scrambled, the Justice Leagues took a look around. Green Lantern, Shayera Hol, and Flash operated as the other Justice League Trinity. Starling and Bat-Girl cooperated with Black Canary and Speedy in looking at the plant's operations. Azrael and Sister Lilhy worked alongside Plastic Man, Animal Man, and Crimson Fox.

* * *

Steve Trevor's group reported to Wet Works Security. The directors seemed quite nervous to have an ARGUS unit on site. Batwoman and Wonder Woman did their best to intimidate everyone. Hawkman held Vibe off to the side. Guy blustered and Trajectory and General Glory snooped around. Question and Huntress got into the company's financials. Vigilante, Vixen, Ri and Darknight looked over the grounds. Katana and Power Girl headed for the basement.

Beneath the building they found an access tunnel. Power Girl forced it open and the duo explored as the tunnel led to others and eventually came together in a network underneath Fawcett City.

* * *

Red Robin led the Teen Titans in investigating StarrWare Software in San Francisco. Karen Starr, the CEO and founder of the company bore a remarkable resemblance to Galatea and Supergirl. But she was purely human rather than an Argoan. Miss Martian quickly determined Luthor was Karen's silent partner. StarrWare developed one of kind software products for Luthor. Many of which incorporated Kryptonian algorithms.

While Red Robin and M'gann investigated, Red Hood led Fairchild, Bunker, Skitter, Kid Flash, Solstice, Superboy, and Wonder Girl in interviewing employees. What became revealed was StarrWare had another exclusivity deal with Lord Enterprises and its Innovative Concepts foundation.

All the software was artificial intelligence engines. Where did Lord Enterprises store an AI and why hadn't it ever been revealed to the public or Max Lord's investors?

* * *

Nightwing reported to the K-Star Ranch to head up the investigation of what had occurred. He was also there to check on Ulla. She'd been reported missing before he'd set out and she had just reported in as he arrived. With Mr. Terrific's permission, Nightwing headed up the interrogations of the captured JLI members.

Jakeem Thunder happily joined Stargirl in approaching the Squire. Nightwing chose the Flash to head up the Knight's questioning. Jay had Commander Steel and Judomaster with him to assist him. Sentinel stood in with Wildcat to interrogating Reverb.

Afterwards, Nightwing arranged for transportation to the lockdown holding the other non-liberated JLers. But every prisoner had corroborated that the Shining Knight's capture had been their only explicit goal. No one could determine the why behind it though.

* * *

The Injusticers invaded an office space across the street from OmniTech. Nyssa paid the office manager and her staff enough to justify taking a week off en masse. Nyssa immediately began organizing.

Wrath used his experiences from running Caldwell Arms to arrange for an inspection of OmniTech by a group of interested investment partners. Nyssa would take Lady Flash, White Canary, Dark Archer, and White Lighting and go take a tour.

Blue Jay reverted to bird size and flew to the penthouse atop the building to flutter around and peek in windows. Silver Sorceress set up a scrying window and tried to peer into the corporate tower. But something prevented her from getting anything more than a sporadic glimpse.

Dark Archer and White Canary grumbled as they changed clothes. They wanted to carry a minimal set of weapons. White Lightning was just discontent to wear anything other than biker's leathers. Lady Flash was the only one happy with the plan.

David Cain used the internet to discover OmniTech had other facilities in town. Blacksmith took the remaining Injustice Rogues and went to Anaheim. The Injustice Titans traveled to Pomona. Major Disaster and Big Sir joined Aresia, the Wrath, and Cain in preparing an all out assault should anything go wrong.

* * *

Arsenal now bore a cybernetic prosthetic right arm. He'd never accurately draw a bow again but his primary weapon had already become his crossbow. Deathstroke set up a training schedule to bring Arsenal back up to fitness and proficiency standards with his new arm. Cheshire took care of thanking him for his sacrifice when he wasn't training. Deathstroke's hidden facility in Boston remained a secret from ARGUS.

* * *

Horus arrived in Kahndaq to find infighting consuming the country while Libya and Egypt gathered at the borders. Sporadic reports listed sightings of the Black Marvel Family. Horus knew Black Adam had already devised his own solution to the problem. Horus would forgive Teth-Adam for marrying Adrianna Tomaz if the fool could actually establish peace and security for Kahndaq. After all, the reprobate had ruled Kahndaq for a thousand years after Khufu died and Nabu had become a Lord of Order.

And if Shazam were to intervene, Horus didn't owe the meddling wizard anything. His own patrons, Blaze and Satanus, would pay handsomely for their father's head on a pike.

* * *

Saturn Queen searched her own mind. There were no traces of Tessa left. So the graft had been successful. So why wasn't there a trace of her inside Goldilocks? Was she being too impatient? She still had all of Tessa's memories. Did the personality also require the memories to manifest? The questions were driving her crazy and she knew she needed a definitive answer.

* * *

Power Girl and Katana came upon a massive complex built beneath Fawcett City's city hall. Spillways emptied out into the river from drainage tunnels from across the metropolitan area. And at its heart stood a vast array of computerized equipment. Lex Luthor manned the equipment and the humbled Female Furies formed a loose perimeter.

"Alert Col. Trevor," Katana instructed, "I shall remain here to observe."

"You're sure?" Power Girl wanted to be certain.

"With your speed, you can alert him and return within mere minutes," Katana reasoned it out.

"See you in a few," Power Girl promised before disappearing with a rush of displaced air.


	25. Chapter 25

26

Katana observed Lex Luthor and the Female Furies from the connecting tunnels that led to the central drain off sewer beneath Fawcett City. She and Power Girl had found their way to the central distribution center from an access tunnel beneath Wet Works Security. Galatea had gone back to alert Col. Steve Trevor and the other members of the Justice League of America that were investigating Wet Works. Only, Power Girl hadn't immediately reappeared and Luthor was getting visitors as they emerged out of a recently developed boom tube.

Intergang had been created by Bruno Mannheim in cooperation with Darkseid. Intergang received Apokoliptan technology and weaponry in exchange for serving Darkseid's interests on Earth. After Steppenwolf had arranged for Bruno's death, Granny Goodness had briefly led Intergang. But as Darkseid's intentions for Earth Prime evolved so did Intergang's leadership role.

Boss Moxie had been Bruno's father. Arrested and imprisoned in the late Forties by the Newsboy Legion, Boss Moxie's incarceration had instilled a hatred of all costumed adventurers and vigilantes in Bruno. That hate had made him susceptible to Darkseid's machinations.

Boss Moxie had been paroled at the age of 89 years old. But Moxie had spent the last decade plotting his vengeance for the death of his son, which he blamed solely on Superman. So Boss Moxie had taken up leadership of Intergang and the cartel had begun to prosper once again.

While Intergang put down its rivals in HIVE and the Black Seven, Boss Moxie's agents tracked down a renegade geneticist that had once served CADMUS. Dabney Donovan was recruited to clone youthful bodies for all of Boss Moxie's surviving original gang. And the goal was twofold in that it also developed and activated gen factors within those bodies.

Desaad had delivered the psyche transfer ware to deposit the gang's consciousnesses into their new bodies. Besides Boss Moxie, there was also Moll Flanders. Flanders had been Moxie's gun moll and mistress before prison. Now she reprised that role with her ability to hurl psychokinetic bullets and blades.

Spats Thompson had all of Majestic's powers. But he could only utilize one at a time at any given second. Spats had his limitation but by transferring powers fast enough, no one had yet realized his sole weakness. And Boss Moxie found it incredibly useful to have a Superman-caliber threat at his disposal.

Tommy Shingles seemed innocuous enough. But his accuracy with conventional weaponry was uncanny to say the least. No one had ever seen Tommy miss after his "rebirth". Even practicing against Spats' super speed, he'd managed to gauge where his target would be and anticipated the throw. Only Spats' ability to turn invulnerable had saved his life on countless occasions.

Numbers Malone possessed a gen activated 12th level intelligence to rival Luthor's. He could process multiple spatial equations along with probability forecasting to accurately predict the minutest features of the future within 99% accuracy.

But Boss Moxie had also reached out to other organizations whose representatives weren't present at that time. Whisper A'Daire came from the League of Assassins. Her own gen factor was akin to Killer Croc's in granting her slightly reptilian features. But Whisper was capable of subtle shape and feature changes as well as being able to spit poison like a king cobra.

Chang Tzu's Science Squad was a criminally organized analogue of CADMUS. It was dedicated to analyzing and activating gen factors within criminally minded individuals and neutralizing and shutting down those same factors in the heroically bent.

The Religion of Crime adhered to the so-called "Crime Bible". Its religiously bent zealots saw immorality and illegality as acts of worship. It remained a highly secretive cult who only proselytized to the most successful and daring crooks. And it had studiously avoided the notoriety that would come from recruiting so-called "super" criminals.

* * *

Intergang had also recently recruited the Terror Titans. Originally assembled by HIVE. After HIVE's destruction at the hands of Intergang, the Terror Titans had agreed to work as recruiters for Roulette's meta-human arena.

The Terror Titans were all related to other super villains in some fashion. Or so it seemed. Dreadbolt was the son of the man called Bolt. Like his father, he was a career special effects engineer. His suit allowed him to channel energy and control prepared FX props and equipment.

Disruptor had been told she was the daughter of the original Disruptor equipped by HIVE. Her gauntlets interfered with super powers, neuroelectric energy, and pain receptors. And she especially delighted in the last.

Persuader wielded the Atomic Axe. No one was certain of where the axe came from or how it was forged but it could literally cut through any substance or energy. Persuader was the first to carry that name and weapon in a legacy that would stretch until the 31st Century.

Intergang had also used Apokoliptan riot gear to equip three specialists as enforcers. The first was called Wisp. He brandished a gas gun similar in nature to Sand's. But Wisp's weapon utilized a six cartridge rotary delivery system. Each cartridge contained a different kind of gas. The first was a simple knockout agent. The second was acidic. The third was incendiary. The fourth was poisonous. The fifth was a nerve agent. And the sixth was a truth telling interrogation agent.

Fly wore an Nth metal antigrav belt and a fan harness. The fans directed Fly in every conceivable direction. Gravitic plates in his gloves and boots allowed him to adhere to any surface. And his multifaceted goggles granted him near omnidirectional vision.

Line had wrist launchers that fired bolo tipped ropes. The bolos were electronically preset to capture or to snare. They could be used for rappelling and ascensions and the bolos would release on command.

Steppenwolf had ordered Boss Moxie into cooperating with Luthor. The Legion of Super Villains was leading the Legion of Doom. Once the world capitulated to the LSV, they would return to the future while the Legion ruled the world in Darkseid's name. Intergang would be the middlemen that dealt with cities while the Legion dealt with national concerns. Intergang would control the criminal vice industry the oppressed huddled masses would inevitably turn to.

Boss Moxie agreed to those terms and added that he would have to consult with his silent partner. That partner would immediately begin a global media campaign to prepare the populace for the changes ahead. The New World Order under Luthor's thumb would be installed with barely a whimper in protest.

* * *

Katana overheard the entire final negotiation. When Power Girl did return, she'd led the JLA team to Katana's location rather than let them wander the tunnels. Col. Trevor immediately sized up the situation.

"What have you heard?" he whispered to Katana.

"Intergang is joining forces with Luthor at Darkseid's behest," Katana whispered back, "I shall be most happy to file a report when we return to the Hall of Justice. But for now, may I suggest we kill this alliance before it's born? The Intergang leader called Boss Moxie referred to a silent partner who isn't present. Apparently this partner controls great influence through media outlets."

"Point taken," Trevor allowed, "Power Girl, you're on Stompa. Wonder Woman, you take care of Bernadeth. If you don't know who that is, don't be too proud to ask someone. Guy, you've got Malice."

"What? The freakin' kid?" Guy Gardner protested, "Where's the frickin' glory in that?"

"Glory is what you make of it," General Glory advised him.

"And the fight won't be with Malice unless you're smart about it," Trevor advised Guy, "Most of your time will be spent fighting Chessure."

"Now yer talkin' my lingo," Guy grinned.

"Guy, no one talks your lingo," Trajectory warned him.

"The rest of you take out targets of availability," Trevor ordered, "But I'm on Luthor and Boss Moxie. I have certain…questions that need asking."

So the JLA swung into action.

* * *

Moll Flanders fired psychic bullets at Trevor to keep him pinned down as Tommy Shingles herded Boss Moxie, Lex Luthor, and Numbers Malone through a boom tube. Tommy was next through the tube while Spats Thompson used his invulnerability to shield Moll as she backed her way through the boom tube. The Intergang inner circle found themselves at Galaxy Broadcasting Systems in order to meet with Morgan Edge. The boom tube collapsed behind them, leaving Trevor swearing to himself.

* * *

Batwoman used batarangs to teach Mad Harriet some respect. After four successive blows to the head, Mad Harriet was more circumspect. And then Batwoman closed quarters with her and fought her hand to hand. Mad Harriet retreated as soon as there was an available opportunity.

* * *

Wonder Woman pitted her sword and shield against Bernadeth's Feron blades. It took Artemis almost losing her arm to Bernadeth's superheated blade as it melted through her shield for her to gain a grudging respect for her opponent. Artemis disposed of the shield by bouncing it off of Bernadeth's bulbous forehead. While the New God blinked away the pain, Artemis closed in to resume her attack.

Unlike the shield Wonder Woman carried, her sword had been forged by Hephaestus himself. It had been included with Hera's armor but Diana had always foresworn it. Artemis wasn't so squeamish. With her single sword she forced the twin blade wielding Bernadeth back until the New God ordered the Female Furies into a retreat.

As Bernadeth tried to desperately gather her troops and open a boom tube, Artemis sheathed her sword and strung her bow. Then she fired arrows with the velocity of missiles at the Female Furies as they skulked away.

* * *

Power Girl was surprised to discover how powerful Stompa really was. Unlike Supergirl, Galatea had never fought the New God before. Power Girl found out the hard way Stompa's most powerful weapon was her head butting charge. So Power Girl learned to evade the charge and take Stompa to the ground each time. As long as she wasn't the one on the ground, she avoided Stompa's merciless antimatter soles. Despite her frustration, or perhaps because of it, Stompa was relieved when Bernadeth ordered the withdrawal.

* * *

Gilotina began by only using one sword against Hawkman. She'd found Thanagarians were blunt instruments content with hacking foes apart. But Carter Hall's soul was Thanagarian but he had a thousand lifetimes as a human warrior and he'd learned the lessons imparted upon each lifetime.

Hawkman seemed oblivious to any cuts or wounds as he pressed in to kill Gilotina. Grudgingly, Gilotina pulled her other sword free as well. But Hawkman's inherited memories and skills included fighting foes with two swords to his one. So he maintained the relentless pressure. Gilotina was humiliated to be grateful for Bernadeth's call.

* * *

Vibe nearly shook the Cyber Pack apart. They retreated behind their mistress' shadow. Artemiz fired arrow after arrow at Vibe. His powers literally shook them apart in midair. Then he stretched out further and knocked her off of her feet. Artemiz heard Bernadeth's order to pull out and she kept Vibe rooted where he was by firing arrows at him as she withdrew. The Cyber Pack gratefully led the way out.

* * *

Guy easily contained Malice Vundabar. But that hardly prevented her from opening a fissure to a shadow hell dimension and summoning Chessure to "play". Guy literally fought for his life against the shadow demon while Malice cheered the creature on. But she sullenly obeyed Bernadeth's command to retreat. But Chessure was the last to pull out before the Female Furies' boom tube closed.

* * *

Trajectory had no intention of letting Speed Queen even get rolling. But this time, the New God wasn't relying on technology for her speed. Boss Moxie, as agreed with Luthor, had brought a supply of Velocity 9. Speed Queen was finally capable of achieving her feats of super speed without skates and a rocket pack.

Trajectory unexpectedly faced a foe that could match her speed for speed. And Speed Queen had been bred for warfare her entire life. Trajectory had barely completed a basic course in hand to hand combat.

* * *

Bloody Mary took hold of General Glory and began to feed. But what she tapped into was the nearly limitless power source that stemmed from the Spirit of Lady Liberty. Bloody Mary was soon bloated and gorged. She slunk away trying to avoid any conflicts in her condition.

* * *

General Glory pulled Speed Queen off of Trajectory. General Glory held out his hand to the fallen Trajectory, "Let me help you up."

"I don't know where she suddenly got speed powers from," Trajectory lamented, "She didn't have them earlier today."

"She may not have them now," General Glory assessed, "She's showing signs that Velocity 9 addicts display before their metabolisms consume them."

"Velocity 9," Trajectory whispered in horror.

"In normal folks it eventually kills them when their bodies eat themselves up to fuel the speed," General Glory recalled, "That probably won't happen with a so-called 'god' but we can burn it out of her system. And the fastest way to do that is get her rolling again."

"Okay! I'm on it!" Trajectory darted off.

Speed Queen was practically foaming at the mouth when Trajectory's right cross connected. Trajectory held her wounded hand, "Damn it! That hurts!"

Then she streaked off down the tunnels and Speed Queen followed. They covered the entire tunnel network several times but Trajectory learned the system en route and always eventually steered them back to the central node.

As they raced, Trajectory noticed Speed Queen was slowing down. She cut short their usual tour and headed back to the node. When they arrived, Trajectory halted. Speed Queen collapsed.

She was haggard and withdrawn, but it wasn't from the drug depleting her body's resources. It was the open signs of crippling addiction, "I need more."

The croaking gasp was utterly pathetic. General Glory shook his head, "Addiction is such a waste."

Bernadeth called for a retreat and Speed Queen reached into a pocket and removed a tablet that she desperately ingested. As Trajectory and General Glory watched in horror, Speed Queen's addictive tremors ceased. Then she bolted off through the boom tube.

"I wonder if Darkseid offers drug rehab programs." General Glory mused.

"Somehow I doubt it," Trajectory said darkly.

* * *

With no offensive equipment to posses to fight against the Question, Wunda simply entered the computer network and repositioned herself across the globe where she activated her own boom tube.

* * *

Line fired his bolo rope. Huntress stepped out of its way and let him snare a nearby railing. She fired her crossbow at him. He barely managed to sidestep it as he retracted one rope and fired the other from the left wrist ejector. This one captured Huntress' crossbow while she was reloading.

"Okay, pal. No more Ms. Nice Guy," Huntress rushed at him. She pushed him into a support pillar and put a knife to his throat while she stabbed him between the fifth and sixth rib.

"That's just a body cavity. But we can go for between the fourth and fifth rib and ruin your entire life with a twist at the end. Or you could surrender peacefully before I make it a permanent one."

Line eagerly agreed to her terms.

* * *

Dreadbolt fired of electrical discharges ta Vigilante. With all of the conductive materials and water around, the shots went wild. But Vig's first hyperkinetic round knocked Dreadbolt off of his feet.

The Terror Titans had always relied upon surprise and overwhelming force to round up the NOWHERE rejects they recruited as cannon fodder from Roulette. Dreadbolt had never faced an actual hero versus one in name only. Vigilante blew him off of his feet again as he stood up. The third round knocked the wind out of him so effectively; he passed out from lack of oxygen.

* * *

Vixen evaded Disruptor's gauntleted fists with the speed of a mongoose. She also delivered rapid fie attacks through the same. Finally, more out of luck than skill, Disruptor grabbed a hold of Vixen and a short circuited her nervous system.

"Hey!" Vigilante yelled.

Disruptor turned and a hyperkinetic round knocked her backwards. She struggled to breathe as Vig checked Vixen's vitals, "How'd ya'll like ta keep on livin'?"

"You won't kill me. You're a hero," Disruptor managed to gasp.

"Yore sure `bout that?" Vigilante cockled his revolved and took center aim between her eyes.

Then he shifted to the left and blew a turkey sized hole in the concrete beside her right ear, "Now, Ah'll give ya a three count ta decide whut ya want ta do. But for yore sake, Ah do rightly hope ya'll choose to give up. It's always messy when a head goes the way of that there wall."

Vigilante cocked his revolver again and Disruptor knew she really didn't have a choice.

* * *

Wisp tried out various gases on Ri. But no matter how deadly or devastating the effects were, she always managed to heal herself before she died. And then he promptly surrendered when she attempted to skewer him with her sword.

* * *

Fly buzzed around Darknight with his harness mounted fans provided the appropriate annoying sound. Darknight tried attacking Fly from multiple approaches but the goggles the Intergang enforcer wore allowed him to be spotted at every turn. Fly's only weakness was a direct approach from behind.

So Darknight engaged in multiple feints while Ri quietly made her approach. Jamming her sword in the fan harness, it knocked out the rear fans and Fly was propelled into the opposite wall. There he tried climbing up the wall but Darknight was quickly upon him and beat him senseless with his batons.

"As ever, we make excellent partners," Darknight congratulated Ri.

"In costume and out of it," she said with satisfaction.

* * *

Katana quickly realized Persuader's Atomic Axe could cut through virtually anything. Ostensibly through the SoulTaker as well. So she applied her blade to the axe's elongated handle to block Persuader's strokes. But as deft as Persuader was, she wasn't prepared for a prolonged struggle.

Persuader grew reckless and Katana disarmed her. The remaining battle was over in seconds. Which suited Katana. Persuader had become increasingly vocal and hostile as she lost control of herself.

* * *

Trevor tallied up the situation. Luthor and Intergang's inner circle had fled together. All of the Female Furies had gotten away. But the Terror Titans and Intergang's enforcers were captured.

Trevor assigned Question to leading an investigation into why Luthor had set up here and who'd provided support. Question chose Huntress, Power Girl, Vibe, and Vixen as his assistants. Upon leaving the sewer, Trevor called in their status and Sue Dibney deployed an ARGUS collection team for the prisoners. ARGUS also motivated the Justice Department into launching an FBI investigation into Wet Works Security's ties with Luthor.

* * *

Nyssa Raatko was accompanied by four Injusticers posing as junior executives and aides. Lady Flash was delighted to participate. White Canary and Dark Archer were less sanguine. White Lightning was absolutely indignant over dressing the part. Blue Jay was circling the penthouse at bird size trying to catch a glimpse of a Legionnaire. Silver Sorceress was attempting to penetrate the skyscraper's interior with a scrying window but Tala's defenses kept her probes out.

David Cain waited in the "rented" office across the street. Aresia impatiently awaited the call to duty. Major Disaster surfed travel sites on the Web. Big Sir raided the break room fridge. Wrath was on the roof with a high powered rifle prepared to kill selected targets.

Nyssa and party were shown the development departments of each software division. The actual mass production of CD-ROMS took place in Anaheim. But the servers providing downloaded apps were housed in the facility.

At a silent signal from Nyssa, White Canary and Dark Archer escorted the only high ranking female exec out of the room to ostensibly review the books. Lady Flash had slipped away earlier and was conducting high speed reconnaissance of the building.

White Lightning spoke and seized control of the remaining male execs. Under her spell, OmniTech's relationship with Luthor came to light as well as the true nature of the secured floors. No one in OmniTech knew who occupied those levels or had any idea of when they went in or out. At Nyssa's command, White Lightning ordered everyone to forget about the meeting.

Lady Flash rejoined them and reported regarding the security of the inaccessible floors. Nyssa sent her to retrieve White Canary and Dark Archer. Then they returned to the others.

* * *

Cain's mission changed to one of observation. Nyssa would travel to the Hall of Justice and recommended Waller and Batman order an attack. Blue Jay had indicated finding three people residing in the penthouse. Two men and a woman. Which coincidence would have it matched the genders of the LSV Founders.

Nyssa sent Silver Sorceress and Blue Jay to rejoin their fellow Injustice Rogues. Cain dispersed the Injustice League to various observation points. With what remained of the Injustice Titans in Pomona, that accounted for the entire group.

* * *

The Injustice Titans had stumbled upon Grodd, Dr. Sivana, Mr. Mind, Doomsday, and even the treacherous Merlyn loitering around the OmniTech facility in Pomona. Recent losses had halved the team. Risk and Kid Crusader were dead. Match was missing. And Joker's Daughter was now so deranged as to be useless to the team.

Enigma had briefly discussed the need for new recruits with Nyssa before the injustice Titans deployed. Enigma had also requested the dismissal of Duela Dent from the unit. Enigma was calculating their chances when Santana's ring fighters exited the building. Seeing three rhino men alongside four lion men, two crocodile men, and three cheetah men persuaded her to stay put.

"They're not even trying to hide," Joker's Daughter snicker, "So let's say 'hi'."

"Inertia, drop her off at the train station," Enigma snapped.

In a rush of air, the pair disappeared. Sun Girl was saddened, "You asked Nyssa to kick Duela out, didn't you?"

"I'll try and persuade Nyssa to convince Duela to buy her life with her silence. Otherwise I think she and her Jokerz gang will be our next target," Enigma warned Sun Girl, "Her gang is strictly a Gotham affair. So if Duela shuts up and stays in the city, Nyssa shouldn't have a problem with her."

"Who would tell Nyssa if she wasn't?" Sun Girl wondered.

"A little informant known as the White Rabbit," Enigma reminded her.

* * *

Silver Sorceress magically teleported Blue Jay and herself to Blacksmith's location. Girder and Magenta were observing the production facility while Murmur tested his scalpels on his own flesh. Finding nothing of note, Silver Sorceress returned them all to Los Angeles. There, Cain put them to use.

* * *

The Shining Knight and Goldilocks were locked away in the same apartment. Sir Justin no longer had any of his knightly equipment. Goldilocks seemed hopeful because of his presence and apprehensive over it at the same time. Very much like the Goldilocks he'd been honored to come to know in recent weeks. And yet, she was nothing like that future incarnation at the same time. She wasn't the Goldilocks he'd known six months ago yet she was strangely familiar all the same. And there was a look in her eyes that haunted him.

"Milady, why art thou silent?" Sir Justin asked after a long silence.

"I…don't know. It's like I don't know myself anymore," Goldilocks hated to admit. It made her sound mental and she desperately wanted to be sane.

Sir Justin suddenly hoped that somehow her future self had found new life in her, "What meanest thou?"

"I feel different," Goldilocks struggled to express the totality of the changes, "Something inside of me has changed. Something important. I really can't explain it all."

"Dost thou remember the last few weeks?" he asked, "Say of Romania or Hungary?"

"I've never been to either country," Goldilocks informed him, "I spent the last three weeks making my way from Europe through the Arabian Peninsula to India to reach Hong Kong. I think you're more confused than I am, Sir Justin."

He froze as she smiled at him. The look in her eyes and the smile were identical to the ones Tessa had reserved for him, "Milady, would'st thou haven any memories thou can'st account for?"

"No, not memories," Goldilocks frowned, "More like perceptions and ways of looking at life and the world. It's all new and different…or maybe an old way I'd forgotten."

She saw his intense scrutiny, "You must think I've gone mad again."

"Mayhap sound saner than ever before," Sir Justin confessed, "Share your newfound insights."

"I've realized I've had a lot of misplaced anger towards people and circumstances," Goldilocks hesitantly shared until she saw Sir Justin pleading with her to continue, "Horrible things happened to me in my childhood. But I blamed my parents and Dorcas even though they didn't know anything at the time and helped prosecute the bustard when they learned what was happening. But I'd lost touch with reality and was sent to a sanatorium. There I flitted through fairy tale filled days."

"My parents came for me when I was kicked out for being naughty. And I learned about Dorcas being Godiva. After I learned how to enchant my hair, I burned the estate down and fled to become a thief. The Brain found me and offered me a place in the Brotherhood of Evil and my price was the erasure of all record of my identity. Which a legal team used to free my uncle before I paid him a visit and repaid him for past kindnesses."

Neither Godiva nor Goldilocks had ever mentioned Goldilocks killing their uncle before now. Goldilocks added to her story, "I lived under that arrangement until Dorcas freed me from it. But the past isn't a collection of records or documents. It's what we carry inside. How we live with what happened defines us and makes us into who we are. I chose to deal with things badly. But now I want to change that. I want to start reevaluating life and changing what I do with it."

Sir Justin was stunned. Goldilocks suddenly became shy, "I've been smitten with you since we met. But before it was because of what you represented to me. Now it's becoming because of who you really are. I know you've lost Tessa. Anyone can see she's no longer the person she was. And you need to time to grieve. But maybe someday there will be a chance for us? If you're so inclined and I've proven myself worthy of consideration. Then maybe we'll see if history can forge a future."

Sir Justin was speechless. What had the Tessa pretender done to her? The future Goldilocks had endured unspeakable pain to reach these same conclusions. Yet the strange woman with Tessa's face had done this simply by cupping Goldilocks' face in her hands and staring at her for a time.

The future, already wildly unpredictable after recent events, just became an enigma within a riddle.

* * *

Nyssa arrived at the Hall of Justice through one of Silver Sorceress' portals. Her first consideration was to bring her observations and conclusions of OmniTech to Batman. Afterwards, while Batman conferred with Waller, Trevor, Sue, and Nightwing, Nyssa paid a visit to White Rabbit. She in turn told Nyssa about the Terror Titans.

"I also sent Ravager on a recruiting mission," White Rabbit told her, "Altogether you have five potential candidates to join your Injustice Titans. And getting rid of Joker's Daughter is the best idea you've had this week."

* * *

Nyssa returned to Waller, "I need to interview the Terror Titans and the prisoners Ravager brought in."

"White Rabbit won't tell anyone why she had them transferred here but Batman is insisting I follow her lead on this," Waller mentioned, "I don't like following anyone."

"I intend to see if they're worthy of joining my Injustice Titans," Nyssa admitted.

"And you think I'm going to supply an enemy with more cannon fodder?" Waller was dubious.

"There are a great many connections between OmniTech and Luthor. I can tell you about them…for a price," Nyssa offered.

"We'd find out anyway," Waller countered.

"These are invisible connections unless you know precisely where to look," Nyssa promised.

"Give me the information and I'll think about cutting you a deal," Waller decided.

"You'll agree to my terms before I give you a scrap of information and count yourself fortunate I'm letting you make this bargain," Nyssa declared.

"You really are Ra's al Ghul's daughter aren't you?" Waller asked.

"Absolutely," Nyssa confirmed it.

"You have yourself five candidates," Waller allowed. Afterwards she realized she would have conceded far more to obtain the data.

* * *

Nyssa visited Dreadbolt first. ARGUS had quickly indentified the three Terror Titans and assembled dossiers on them. Terrance Bolatinsky infamy came more from the fact that his father was the Bolt. The Bolt had engaged in a mid-level career as a costumed criminal before being recruited by the Suicide Squad and dying in action.

Dreadbolt had no meta-human abilities but his suit and his work with Hollywood practical FX demonstrated a genius level engineering capability. Perhaps even more than his father had. Nyssa simply offered the chance for Dreadbolt to continue doing what he did best. But for Nyssa's aim of continuing the historical work of the League of Shadows. The idea of destroying things for a noble cause appealed to Dreadbolt and he readily agreed to join the Injustice Titans.

* * *

Disruptor was Nyssa's next stop. Angelica Smith once believed the original Disruptor was her father. But she'd learned HIVE lied to her to secure her loyalty. Disruptor had never known her parents.

She'd grown up in various foster homes, bounced from house to house as she "acted up". Finally, she'd been a teenager when she became attracted to her foster father so she killed her foster mother to garner his sexual favors. Instead she'd ended up in juvenile detention.

Nyssa immediately identified Disruptor as a narcissistic opportunist. So she simply appealed to Disruptor's craven impulses. Given an opportunity to cut away civilization's dead flesh and rise above to enjoy its every reward, Disruptor leapt at the chance to join the Injustice Titans. Nyssa could easily tell Disruptor had visions of fame and fortune in her eyes as well as the ability to gratify every sexual lust.

* * *

Persuader was the last Terror Titan. Elise Kimble had lived in squalor after her father left the family. The mother was abusive and controlling. Persuader had begun lashing out at perceived abusers in junior high and beyond. Finally she graduated into killing the source of her anger.

HIVE found her engaged in a low level street conflict against pimps. They'd presented her with the Atomic Axe and the first set of Persuader armor. They invited her to forge a legacy that would be handed down through the ages. And if Supergirl had been present she could have informed Nyssa that there was a Persuader through every age through the early 31st Century and each wielded the Atomic Axe in turn.

Nyssa barely managed to describe the Injusticers mission when Persuader begged to join. But she had one price. She wanted to reunite with her father. And no questions were to be asked after the meeting occurred.

* * *

Ravager had delivered the next two potential recruits. Each had been part of the NOWHERE program. Nyssa randomly chose to meet with Windfall first. Wendy Jones was only fifteen. But her gen factor had been activated two years ago. NOWHERE had forcibly taken her and her sister from their home to train in the Arctic.

Windfall's sister had gone missing following the dismantlement of the NOWHERE base and the scattering of its trainees across the globe. Windfall had tried to go home but the DEO had been waiting for her. So she'd gone on the run.

As a junior warden at NOWHERE Ravager had access to the cadet profiles. As such she'd been able to identify Windfall's particular signature as the girl stole articles necessary to survive as she travelled across the United States looking for sanctuary. It had taken even less time to find Windfall and bring her in.

Nyssa was able to provide Windfall with everything she was looking for. Windfall's needs were quite simple: a family, a cause, a structured life, and the chance to better herself. The recruitment speech was interrupted even faster than Disruptor or Persuader had managed to interject.

* * *

The last potential recruit went by TNTeena. Like Red Robin, even TNTeena's NOWHERE profile was nearly a blank. No name or background was given. But TNTeena could project explosive energy through her fingers into anything she touched. And like a shaped charge, the detonation always blew away from her, sparing her any harm. TNTeena was also eager to enlist.

* * *

While Batman prepared the Justice Leagues to storm OmniTech, Nyssa called Silver Sorceress and had her reopen the mystical portal that had delivered her to Brooklyn. But when she returned, she brought five new members of the Injustice Titans with her. Nyssa's first task was to call off the Injustice Titans from Pomona so they could meet their new members.

Silver Sorceress found Joker's Daughter had relocated from the train station to the bus depot. Nyssa went there. In short order she guaranteed Duela Dent would live as long as she kept her mouth shut. In exchange, the Injusticers would do their best to avoid Gotham City. It was a pact easily made but with dangerous consequences for violating it.

Nyssa quickly returned to bring Aresia with her to meet two more potential recruits. This time for Blacksmith's Injustice Rogues. Scandal Savage and Knockout shared a one bedroom apartment blocks away from the Boom Boom Room where Knockout worked as a stripper named Kay. Knockout also wore a demented smile upon seeing Nyssa and Aresia again.

Scandal Savage was Vandal Savage's daughter just as Kassidy Savage and Cassandra Savage were also. In all the centuries no one had ever paid attention to the fact Vandal Savage killed every male progeny.

Scandal was from Brazil. She worked as high level security for local criminal gangs and moonlighted as an assassin. She'd met Knockout when she'd been coming to the Boom Boom Room to watch the strippers' acts. Scandal had quickly sized Knockout up and approached her for a date. One date became dozens and eventually they moved in together.

Scandal's trademark weapons were inherited from her father. The Lamentation Blades had been in the family for thousands of years. The wrist mounted blades were as effective as Azrael's and just as distinctive.

Knockout relied upon her fists and native durability. The New God had escaped Apokolips after being left to die in a fire pit after challenging Big Barda for leadership of the Female Furies and failing to win. Harmon had transited to Earth through that fire pit and Knockout followed him and discovered the hidden boom tube that led to a volcano on Hawaii's big island.

Knockout had an hour before her set started in the Boom Boom Room. Scandal was intrigued to meet the other daughter of Ra's al Ghul. Nyssa admitted she'd pinned too many hopes on Vandal Savage before but she was scaling back her ambitions. Sharing what she'd learned from the League of Shadow's annals, Nyssa invited Scandal and Knockout to join up.

"Why should I?" Scandal asked.

"Because you'll move out from underneath your father's shadow and demonstrate why you should lead world affairs," Nyssa said plainly.

"Just how much of civilization are you talking about knocking down?" Knockout grinned.

"Anything that can be knocked down deserves to be," Nyssa replied.

"I like how you think," Knockout replied.

* * *

Batman brought Nightwing with him to Los Angeles. The Justice League Unlimited was nearly reunited with Barda rejoining Green Lantern, Flash, Shayera Hol, and Captain Atom. Most of the JLA was present as well as well as the entire Teen Titans except Raven and Beast Boy, all of the JSA All Stars discounting Black Mary. Nightshade, Enchantress, Silver Swan, and Black Orchid still represented the Justice League Dark. And although Vapor still manned the operations center at the Hall of Justice, Gypsy, Praxis, Black Bat, Batwing, Little Mermaid, and Godiva arrived as well.

The assault took moments for John Stewart and Guy to lift everyone to the penthouse and affect an entrance. Even after searching the sublevels, the only person they found in the entire complex was Killer Frost. Which everyone waited for Godiva's lead in reacting to.

"I waited for you," Killer Frost promised her, "The Legion traveled to New York to force the United Nations into something. I stayed behind to warn you but they must have known that because the entire place and every piece of equipment is on lockdown."

"She's right about that," Nightwing reported to Batman.

"Contact the ISA," batman instructed, "Tell them we need to relocate."

Trevor contacted Sue only to find out bad news, "The ISA just abrogated our agreement with them to use the teleporter network."

"After we arrived here," Batman hardly found it coincidental, "Call in every federal agency with jurisdiction. I want this place torn apart."

"Sue is scrambling the Invisible Jet," Trevor told him, "But the fastest Penny and her borrowed Blackhawk crew can be here and turned around is an hour."

"Power Girl, I want you to observe the UN but do not engage the Legion until we have all the teams on scene," Batman ordered.

"Will do," Power Girl reluctantly agreed.

Batman gathered Mr. Terrific, Nightshade, and Red Robin too explain to them they would be the strategic reserve. He then contacted Sue and gave her a mission to assign to Kalea and Poison Ivy.

* * *

Regulus warned the Legion of the Burners' plans. Saturn Queen reached out across the country with her mind and arranged a meeting when the Legion and the captive Justice Leagues arrived in New York City. The Burners were encouraged to pursue their plans which would ultimately suit those made by the Legion. Booster Gold and Goldstar were being held in special reserve intended to kill Rip Hunter.

But the Legion was unaware of General Sam Lane's secret meta-human agents nor were they aware of one of those agents being posted as a presidential bodyguard. With news footage of Superman leading the hostile takeover of the United Nations buildings, General Wade Eiling was given a presidential green light to authorize Lane's force deployment.

* * *

As the NYPD surrounded the UN, the US military scrambled forces to encircle the compound as well. Kalea's shuttle raised a stir when it landed amidst the barricades. And the sight of Kalea herself leading Ivy out of the craft. Both law enforcement and military officials immediately got into her face. Ivy was ignored and that suited her just fine. But Eiling led the charge at Kalea and Ivy could see in the tightening around Kalea's eyes and mouth that Eiling was moments from being tossed into the East River.

* * *

Inside the UN, while the Justice Leagues rounded up delegates and staffers alike, the Burners visited the infrastructure that held the buildings together. Intersek scrambled the minds of security officers still manning their posts. Crosscut cut through walls to expose the struts. Breakdown corroded and atrophied the supports while Lightweaver transported him throughout the structure to reach every level.

The captive Justice League International team members brought the support staffers to the General Assembly room where the Justice League Unlimited had the delegates held hostage. The Super Friends forcibly brought the Security Council to join the others.

Lightning Lord took the podium with Saturn Queen and Cosmic King, "We have humbled your Rocket Red Brigade, slain your Great Ten, and destroyed your Federal Guard. Your JLI serves us. The important members of the JLU do as well. But now we will stretch forth to strike at the Security Council's heart. JLers will eliminate the national leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of France, the Russian Federation, and the People's Republic of China. Once we have established our resolve, you will vote to capitulate all national and international authority to us. Once that is done, Intergang will serve as our local intermediaries and new elections are called for to establish new governments in the wake of our takeover."

"And our plans are getting underway even now," Saturn Queen stated the obvious as blue flashes removed all the JLers except the Super Friends.

* * *

Fire, Ice, and Echo led an Intergang composed squad to 10 Downing Street where the Prime Minister was scheduled to be in residence. Fire and Ice provided cover while the Intergang enforcers stormed the official home of the PM. Three of the Anglo-Gallic Firestorms intervened.

Echo reflected a Firestorm's powers back at him. Fire doused another with her Green Flame derived powers. Ice fended off the third with her ice goddess power. Intergang pushed past security and swept the residence.

Intergang reported in that the Prime Minister had already been evacuated based on news reports coming out of the UN. Intergang's observers in Parliament reported he wasn't present there or at Buckingham Palace either. With no means of capturing the PM left to them, Intergang used a boom tube to withdraw.

The first Firestorm encapsulated Fire in a metallic sphere. She consumed the oxygen trapped within it and passed out. He then released her and made shackles out of the same material.

Firestorm number two used nuclear fueled heat to overwhelm Ice and caused the Norwegian deity to faint. He created manacles for as well. But Ice's shackles were coated in heat tape.

The third Firestorm couldn't gain an advantage over Echo. But she broke Saturn Queen's hold on her. Echo quickly surrendered and promised to volunteer any information she could provide.

* * *

Rising Sun, Dr, Light, and Seraph led an Intergang capture squad in Paris. But three Anglo-Gallic Firehawks moved to intercept them. Rising Sun's orders were to kill the President of the Fifth Republic. Yet he found himself having misgivings over his orders for the first time since "enlisting" with the Legion's cause.

As the Firehawks moved in, Rising Sun easily matched their nuclear power. As he battled one, another engaged Dr. Light. She was also capable of fighting off a Firehawk on even terms.

But Seraph easily fell before the third Firehawk. She in turn aided her teammates and overwhelmed Dr. Light. Rising Sun was just getting word that Intergang had failed in their mission and had retreated when he saw Dr. Light succumb to the Firehawks' fury. And he was helpless to stand before the three of them together.

* * *

In Moscow, Olympian led Tasmanian Devil, Cascade, Sandstorm, and Tundra while Intergang stormed the Kremlin to find the president. Rocket Red had returned to Russia and he led two 2nd gen prototype armored Rocket Reds against the JLI.

Rocket Red's Apokoliptan battle armor was still the sturdiest and most capable of the three. But the prototypes were more advanced than either the older Rocket Red Brigade armored suits or those worn by the Federal Guard.

Gavil Ivanovich still wore the Apokoliptan armor. He fought one on one with the Olympian. Rocket Red #49 engaged Tasmanian Devil and Sandstorm. Tundra fought her fellow countryman, Rocket Red #50, with Cascade's assistance.

The Olympian relied on brute strength in his struggle with Rocket Red. But Rocket Red matched his strength and had energy blasters, flamethrowers, and micromissiles to throw at the JLer as well. But Olympian's demigod status granted him a high degree of durability. And the Golden Fleece that he wore accelerated his healing.

Rocket Red stripped Olympian of his Golden Fleece when he attempted another head butting charge. Rocket Red then renewed his assault with full vigor and was gratified when it staggered Olympian. Which just emboldened him to press the attack further.

Tasmanian Devil was equal in strength to Rocket Red #49. But Rocket Red #49 charged his armor with an electrical current and jolted Taz into unconsciousness. Sandstorm swirled about Rocket Red #49 afterwards and tried to penetrate the armor's seals. But the improved armor had repulsor fields backing the physical seals. So Sandstorm's attack was useless. Rocket Red #49 fused the silicone JLer into glass with a heat pulse. Then he shattered the glass.

Cascade used her usual bubble attack against Rocket Red #50. But the armor sealed itself airtight. Then he also charged his armor with electricity and stunned Cascade and she reverted back to being human. Tundra visibly shook as she confronted Rocket Red #50. Finally, Saturn Queen's hold on her mind shattered.

Using her full Arctic powers on Olympian, the Greek demigod was grateful when Rocket Red knocked his frostbitten body out. Tundra willingly surrendered to the Rocket Red Brigade.

* * *

Blue Beetle, Hood, Nightrunner, Wingman, Man-of-Bats, Raven Red, Dark Ranger, and Maxi Man escorted Intergang into Beijing where Ghost Fox Killer led an army unit against them. The JLI confronted Ghost Fox Killer while Intergang fought the People's Army. Everyone but Maxi Man was merely a highly trained human. But Maxi Man was a true meta-human by virtue of his astounding strength.

Maxi Man tried to put Ghost Fox Killer down with a single punch. But Ghost Fox Killer deflected the blow and then took hold of his arm. Since Maxi Man was male, he was vulnerable to her lethal touch and he instantly died.

The rest of the JLI tried to stay out of her reach but she proved to be inhumanly fast. While Blue Beetle organized and ran the interference operation, Intergang pushed through the army and found both the country's president and premier to have been evacuated. Intergang received permission to withdraw.

Immortal Man in Darkness and August General in Iron appeared on the scene. Ghost Fox Killer was so grateful to see August General unharmed she almost began to cry. Man-of-Bats and Raven Red managed to escape before Immortal Man in Darkness collapsed the boom tube. Blue Beetle's remaining team was captured by the Chinese.

* * *

The Justice League Unlimited had been dispatched to retrieve POTUS. Superman and Martian Manhunter dealt with the varied Secret Service operatives while Atom penetrated the White House to find the president and bring him out. But Superman and J'onn Jonzz were surprised to be confronted by a meta-human agent.

Agent Liberty was the latest in a long line of government operatives that began with the Guardian during World War II. Designed as a series of "super soldiers" they'd all worn the same uniform and brandished the same shield for the last 73 years. The code name had been altered when Agent Liberty received cybernetic limbs to replace those he's lost in Afghanistan and the uniform was augmented with computerized elements to assist Agent Liberty in the course of his duties.

Having proven himself on classified military missions, Agent Liberty had been reassigned as a personal bodyguard to the President of the United States. Agent Liberty attacked Superman but the Kryptonian just lifted him off the ground with one hand.

"This is a distraction," J'onn warned, "The president has been airlifted from this location to a point unknown to any Secret Service agent. But this so-called 'Agent Liberty' is fully aware of the president's current location. But even that knowledge is a trap. We are meant to waste time extracting the data while military forces seek to counterattack."

"To what good?" Superman snorted.

A golden energy beam struck Superman and suddenly he couldn't hold Agent Liberty up anymore. As Agent Liberty's feet met the ground he struck Superman in the face with his shield. Blood splattered the shield as it cut Superman's forehead.

J'onn watched as an armored figured leapt off the White House's roof and joined Agent Liberty's attack. Fifteen seconds after the initial energy strike, Superman recovered his usual powers but the armored man hit him with a second golden beam from his chest cavity and Superman was merely mortal again.

Reactron's armor was powered by gold kryptonite. Only one sizeable stone of that variant had ever been discovered on Earth and even then it was found during deep sea oil explorations. Upon testing it on Galatea, CADMUS had discovered it removed Kryptonian powers derived from a yellow sun for fifteen seconds.

Beside Reactron a masked woman with a cape and cowl landed before J'onn. The most startling feature was that the uniform bore the emblem of the House of El. J'onn also discovered he couldn't read her mind.

"Who are you?" he asked her.

"Obviously I'm Superwoman," she smirked.

"There is already another that goes be that name," J'onn warned her.

"Not after today," Superwoman promised.

J'onn recalled Agent Liberty's thoughts regarding a military strike. The US military did possess equipment that could dampen his telepathic powers. Was it possible that CADMUS or even ARGUS had possession of a Kryptonian child all of these years. Yet Superwoman was easily ten years younger than Superman. Too young to have survived Krypton's destruction and wasn't another clone of Kara In-Ze. A survivor of Argo, perhaps? One neither Superman nor Supergirl knew about?

* * *

Atom explored the residential wing of the White House until his path was blocked by a man in a full body glove. The man canted his head to one side, " _Ahem_. Looking for someone?"

"Who are you supposed to be?" Atom wondered.

"Oh, I've been called quite a few names. I've been called Bag O'Bones, Meltdown, and Cyclotronic Man. Now I'm just plain Cyclotron," he answered, "Care to guess what I can do?"

"Well, you seem to have a regular nuclear theme going," Atom realized, "You can crack walnuts with your teeth?"

"Care to see if I can split an Atom?" Cyclotron asked.

"Not really," Atom grimaced.

* * *

Superman tried to fight back against Reactron and Agent Liberty but Reactron faithfully dosed him with gold kryptonite every fifteen seconds. Superman had no idea that Reactron had once been Sgt. Benjamin Martin Krull of the US Army's WMD Disposal Unit. Krull had been lethally dosed with radiation during a disposal run.

CADMUS had managed to stabilize Krull's radiation poisoning with the Reactron armor. The gold kryptonite that inhibited a Kryptonian's powers also held radiation at bay within humans. When the armor was tested against Galatea, it was seen as a deterrent if she should go rogue. After ARGUS shut CADMUS down, the Army took custody of Reactron and he ended up in General Lane's black on black division.

But Reactron was dangerously unstable. So Lane had sought out other operatives. Agent Liberty had been declared KIA in Afghanistan so he was a perfect ghost for Lane. Cyclotron was another unstable element.

The original Cyclotron had been a man named Terry Curtis operating in the Forties. Ultra-Humanite altered Curtis' experiments so that they gave him nuclear powers. He was then pitted against the Justice Society of America. Curtis' power eventually began to consume him and he accidently dosed his own daughter, Terri Kurtzberger.

Terri wouldn't develop powers, but her son Albert Rothstein would become Atom Smasher. Cyclotron died fighting his unwanted "master", Ultra-Humanite. CADMUS had reconstructed the original energy projector that granted Curtis his powers and tested them on a volunteer paroled from a two year robbery conviction.

Ned Creegan was transformed into having similar powers as Curtis but an unexpected side effect had rendered Creegan's skin and soft tissues translucent. Only his skeleton remained visible. So CADMUS techs had originally begun calling him Bag O'Bones. But when that code name was attributed to several CADMUS sanctioned murders, CADMUS supplied Bag O'Bones with a new full body suit and a new name.

Now called Meltdown, Creegan was transferred to Lane's Army command and he undertook several missions before being discovered by Batman. The Meltdown persona was abandoned and Cyclotronic Man was born complete with a new costume. Cyclotronic Man fought Black Lightning in a capture or kill mission that the Super Friends intervened on. Finding himself a target of the JLU, Cyclotronic Man evaporated and Cyclotron lived again.

Reactron hit Superman with gold kryptonite blasts and hard radiation blasts at the same time. Superman finally managed to maneuver Agent Liberty into blocking Reactron long enough to recover his powers and lift off at super speed and fly out of Washington DC. Reactron was enraged.

"Damn you! You let him get away!" Reactron raged.

"We accomplished our mission," Agent Liberty said diffidently.

"Screw that! My mission isn't done until that mother is dead," Reactron flew off to try and find Superman.

Agent Liberty called General Lane.

* * *

J'onn turned invisible to slip away from Superwoman. Phasing himself through the White House walls, he tracked Atom's thoughts down. Cyclotron was blasting away trying to locate the Atom.

J'onn rendered him unconscious with a thought. Atom grew to his normal height, "Thanks J'onn."

Dialing a prepaid cell phone, he connected to their cave headquarters and transmitted himself there riding the signal carrier wave. J'onn exited before Agent Liberty located Cyclotron and revived him.

* * *

Agent Liberty and Cyclotron rejoined Superwoman outside where Reactron was unhappily obeying orders to return. Superwoman turned to Agent Liberty, "Return to the C-in-C. These JLers might still locate him."

"Ma'am," Agent Liberty departed.

"Maybe the General will finally realize that you screwed the pooch and promote my ass over yours," Reactron sneered.

"And maybe the General will finally finalize those orders for me to put you down permanently," Superwoman replied.

"Bitch," Reactron snarled as he shot her with gold kryptonite, "What'tcha got to say about that?"

Superwoman's punch put him through a nearby wall, "Not much."

"B…bu…but the gold K…your Kryptonian powers…" Reactron stammered in disbelief.

"Whoever said I was Kryptonian?" Superwoman wondered.

* * *

Rip Hunter's _Waverider_ appeared on the UN's roof where Booster Gold and Goldstar awaited him. Goldstar's magnetic weapons disarmed Hunter and Booster's proton blasters rendered him unconscious. Together they dragged him back into the ship. Then, they set time-space coordinates and the _Waverider_ vanished from the 21st Century.

* * *

Metropolis Special Crimes Unit commander, Capt. Mara Taggard arrived at the UN to find Lt. Dan Jurgens of the NYPD Major Crimes Unit standing in as scene commander. Mara relieved Jurgens and pulled Eiling off of Kalea.

Taggard instructed Eiling to back out of her newfound jurisdiction. Eiling called Lane and summoned the Army's Meta-Human Response Division operatives. Jurgens contemplated arresting Ivy despite not having a warrant for her arrest. Taggard fills Jurgens in that the JLI forces had all been captured. Only the JLU was out of custody. No one had a clue as to where they went.

* * *

The Invisible Plane touched down at LexCorp Airfield outside of Metropolis. ARGUS transported the Justice Leagues to the United Nations. Power Girl finally made her presence known. Eiling received word from Waller authorizing her team to take control of the situation. Superwoman, Reactron, and Cyclotron made their appearance as well and Eiling pressed for military control of Manhattan.

While the bureaucracies battled for control, Kalea departed the area and headed for Connecticut. She headed for the JLU headquarters to confront her father, J'onn, and the Atom. With Kal-El removed from Saturn Queen's presence, Kalea might finally be able to free him from the Legionnaire's control.

Batman was about to order a breach into the United Nations when Saturn Queen, Lightning Lord, and Cosmic King left the hostages in the care of the Super Friends. The Justice Leagues prepare to strike and bring the Injusticers into the fight when the _Waverider_ reappeared, this time in the courtyard. The assembled Legion of Super Villains exited the craft and were finally reunited with their founders.


	26. Chapter 26

28

Kalea came to a landing outside of the JLU headquarters. Sue Dibney had been more than happy to provide the location. As Kalea expected, automated defenses activated and targeted her. And as she'd strongly suspected, despite Barda's participation in the Justice League Unlimited, the defenses were decidedly nonlethal. Which meant they were minor annoyances for Kalea's hybrid Almeracian-Kryptonian physiology.

As Kalea entered the cave walls, she heard a faint heartbeat and her heat vision flashed out of her organic eye. Atom popped up and she pressed two fingers from her natural hand to his forehead. His head snapped back and he passed out. Kalea knew he was no longer a threat to her mission. If anything, he would awaken as an ally.

As Kalea reached the central chamber, she was unprepared for the suddenness and viciousness of her father's attack. She blocked his every blow but his greater strength began to wear her organic arm down. Surging forward, she repeated her move with her fingertips applied to Kal-El's forehead. She mustered all of her mental might and projected a single thought into his mind that he should be free.

Superman recoiled as Saturn Queen's already weakened hold broke apart in his mind. He watched in horror as J'onn Jonzz, the Martian Manhunter, grabbed hold of Kalea. He then watched in mute fascination as J'onn released her and clutched his head in silent protest. And then he knew J'onn was free as he was as well.

Kalea fell to her knees and J'onn knelt beside her, "My child, I apologize. I wasn't liberated before I engaged that last attack. Are you unharmed?"

"Fortunately I expected something like that when I dropped my mental shields," Kalea nursed a headache, "Trust me though, I wasn't going to allow you a second chance at my mind."

"Kalea, how can I ever thank you?" her father asked, "You freed me, you saved Alex, and you rescued Diana from me. How did you ever manage to break Saturn Queen's hold?"

"First, you all wanted to be free," Kalea answered.

"All?" Superman asked.

"I'll check on the Atom," J'onn grasped her meaning.

"As to how, I don't have the Blood Royal's psychokinetic gifts but I can muster all of my mind into a single focused burst. I've learned to use it as a weapon. Or in this case, a scalpel," Kalea explained.

"You came to help me?" Superman asked.

"I came primarily to avenge my friend and her naval crew that died at Lobo's hands because of these Legionnaires. But Almerac's surveillance drones had recorded their takeover of your mind and that of your friends. So I expanded my rather limited goal," Kalea made it sound so matter of fact, "But I will see these Legionnaires face justice."

Superman repressed a shudder. He'd witness his daughter murder her lover in the name of justice, "I don't condone vigilantism."

"Ironic considering you're operating outside the law. Only the Justice Leagues of America and International are duly authorized law enforcement agencies," Kalea pointed out.

"Have you been hanging out with lawyers?" Superman wondered.

"No, but Director Waller and Sue Dibney have been quite informative," Kalea revealed, "Especially since there will probably only be two of the four current Justice Leagues left intact after these events conclude."

Superman scowled, "You think they'll arrest me."

"If you let them," Kalea amended.

"There's someone new on the scene and she wears the emblem of the House of El," Superman warned her.

"Gods, Father! How many pretenders will you allow to wear your symbol? I already spotted some youth sporting it as well as discovering Kara In-Ze has been adopted into the family by Kryptonian custom," Kalea was exasperated now.

"This was a stranger. She's too young to have come from Krypton unless she's another survivor from Argo," Superman realized, "Did you find any signs of other survivors than Kara during your months there?"

"Mother exiled me near a major city so I could find shelter in order to survive the nights and fend off predators. And I was near enough the outskirts to forage," Kalea reminded him, "I never saw another city or settlement. But their central AI was left running and no one was communicating through its network."

"What histories?" Superman inquired.

"I looked through all the historical documents regarding Krypton's destruction. Like Krypton itself, Argo had abandoned deep space travel. Any craft escaping Argo would have been an inner solar system vehicle. Anyone aboard would have died of extreme old age before they reached the closest habitable world. If they somehow managed to carry enough supplies," Kalea hated telling him, "Maybe this woman is a Daxamite or even from Kandor on New Krypton."

"Kandor on where?" Superman sputtered.

"I knew mother should have told you," Kalea muttered.

"What's Kandor?" Superman urgently wanted to know.

"A Kryptonian city on a lost colony," Kalea shared, "A thousand years ago, Krypton recalled all of her colonists. The Daxamites and the settlers in Kandor refused to obey. They both cut off communication with their parent world and went their own way."

"If it's a so called 'lost' colony, why does Almerac know about it?" Superman asked, "And don't tell me Max read about it in the Argo histories."

"No, she didn't. As far as Argo and Krypton were concerned, Kandor and New Krypton were an abandoned colony just as Daxam was supposed lost after the Council's geneticists condemned the population," Kalea saw Superman's surprise, "Krypton was extremely xenophobic and controlled population increases through genetic regulation. When the Daxamites developed their allergy to lead, the Science Council deemed them inferior mongrels and the colonists were to be sterilized so the population would die out after they returned to Krypton and Argo."

Superman looked horrified and Kalea added, "The Krypton of Jor-El's time was vastly different than a thousand years before it. When Krypton abandoned colonization, Almerac breathed a sigh of relief. When Krypton exploded and Kandor turned to terraforming and localized mining rather than deep space exploration, my grandfather was greatly relieved. But preparations were made anyway."

"You see them as a threat," Superman realized.

"We've kept the colonies under observation for a thousand years. In that time, they've lost none of their xenophobic heritage. If anything, it's increased. Whereas Daxam believes other races exist to serve, Kandor doesn't believe any sentient life but their own should exist. Think of Kandorians as Gordanians without the appetites," Kalea described the races to him.

"Almerac had Krypton under observation," Superman came to realize.

"Yes, and they tracked your ship's hyperspace vector and calculated every possible known destination where a Kryptonian could survive. After years of deep space probes, Earth was discovered and you came under mother's watchful eye," Kalea informed him.

"That's why Max was able to find me so easily," Superman regretted to come to realize, "And why she knew about Argo. Your military has been mining kryptonite asteroids, hasn't it?"

"Like I said, Kandor is still a threat," Kalea shrugged.

"If Almerac had the solar system under observation, you've known about the distress beacon I found for decades," Superman hated all of these discoveries.

"Yes," Kalea simply answered.

"And it was decided to let the population slowly die out," he said heavily. It wasn't a question.

"Yes, and if Kandor were to light up a similar beacon, we would repel everyone who answered it the way we did around Argo," Kalea told him.

Every time Superman was around Maxima or Kalea, he realized how little he understood their culture and their backgrounds, "The JLI was deployed to kill the leaders of major powers."

"They all failed," Kalea was pleased to tell him, "And now you can confront the source of the problem."

"You mean the Legionnaires," Superman was apprehensive, "What if we lose our minds again?"

"Part of what I did was to construct a mental barrier within each of your minds," Kalea stated, "It isn't perfect but it will bolster your own resolve to resist Saturn Queen."

"Then I say we take the fight back to them," Atom said from the entrance where he and J'onn had been listening in.

"Indeed," J'onn concurred.

"This might actually work," Superman decided.

"You think?" Kalea quipped, fighting an urge to smack him for being obtuse.

"It is an agreeable plan," J'onn added to the argument.

"Then let's be about it," Kalea urged.

* * *

Saturn Queen's telepathy instantly briefed all of the Legion of Super Villains assembled in the 21st Century. The LSV then divided up to face the Justice League Unlimited, Justice League of America, Justice League International and Injusticer squads all at once while Booster Gold and Goldstar defended the time travelling _Waverider_ ship.

Killer Frost desperately held Godiva's hands before confronting a Legionnaire, "I'm going to prove to you I didn't betray you."

"I already believe that," Godiva shared.

"Maybe I just need to try harder to convince myself," Killer Frost plunged in and kissed Godiva, who eagerly reciprocated. Then Killer Frost broke the kiss and dove into conflict.

Saturn Queen took a moment to route Legionnaires towards opponents she deemed appropriate for their powers or skill sets. Beauty Blaze got the task of dealing with Killer Frost.

The pyrokinetic Beauty Blaze had never adopted a code name. Her given named seemed apropos enough to her, "So they've sent a snow cone against me."

"You're thinking of Icicle," Killer Frost lashed out with her power.

Beauty Blaze created a firestorm to counter the cold wave. She was amazed as her flames died out and snowflakes filled the air. So she unleashed her full fury.

Killer Frost did the same. But as she absorbed more and more heat, Louise Lincoln was dismayed to find her flesh becoming rosy again and her powers fading as her body was saturated. Beauty Blaze leered at her.

"Aw, you look so toasty and warm. Let me light your inner fire," Beauty Blaze laughed.

* * *

Mick Yardreigh was known as Black Mace in the 31st Century. Having incredible strength and agility, he expertly wielded a namesake weapon. Out of the Legion of Superheroes, only Valor and Ultra Boy could surpass his strength and speed.

Reactron's armor made him physically powerful but Black Mace proved to be even stronger. And his speed gave him the ability to hammer away at Reactron so that he felt each blow. Reactron found his armor's systems were shutting down. Including the maintenance system that halted his radiation poisoning.

With his flight capabilities neutralized and his gold kryptonite projector useless, Reactron only had one other weapon at his disposal. His radiation projectors were shutting down but he had enough for one final shot. So he took it.

* * *

Jall Tannuz looked like an antenna-less Durlan. He even had a Durlan's shape shifting ability. But he wasn't even remotely Durlan. In fact, no one even had a guess as to which species Chameleon Chief belonged to.

But he found himself pitted against Plastic Man. Initially, Chameleon Chief felt insulted by this. But as the battle began, he realized Plas was as much a shape changer as he was. Finding that the only limit to either fighter's ability was their imagination, Chameleon Chief decided to roll with it and have fun.

* * *

Dr. Zaxton Regulus was another Legionnaire that simply used his own given name. His solar power and protection armor made him a match for Dick Morgna, the same teen Regulus had tried to kill and transformed into Sun Boy instead. Later Regulus had attempted the same "accident" on Dirk's sister and she became Sun Girl before disappearing from the United Planets entirely.

Dr. Regulus had a galaxy sized chip on his shoulder. He'd never accumulated great wealth or prestige working for RJ Brande. Brande's business was to create and ignite artificial stars. Sun Boy and Sun Girl's father had been a coworker of Regulus'. Morgna got the accolades Dr. Regulus felt he was owed but had never earned. So he'd tried killing Dr. Morgna's children.

When that failed he struck out at RJ Brande's ersatz children, the Legion of Superheroes. Which had attracted the LSV's attention. So his desire to kill the LSH members made him a perfect member.

Dr. Regulus knew the yellow spectrum weakness built into a Green Lantern power rings so he he staved off John Stewart's attacks by evaporating the Green Light of Will's emotional spectrum. Trajectory was harder to cope with. She evaded his plasma blasts but his armor made him immune to most of her attacks. So Dr. Regulus couldn't help but laugh at them.

* * *

Kirt Niedrigh, like most LSV members, had applied for LSH membership first and been rejected. Kirt had been approached to be a trainee tester but not to join the active Legion. But Kirt had in turn rejected the offer to become Earth Man and join the LSV.

Earth Man found it amusing to be confronted by Superwoman, "They really couldn't have been stupid enough to throw a Kryptonian at me."

Earth Man's ability was to absorb the super powers of any being within proximity much the way the Parasite did through touch. But the Parasite absorbed energy to survive and his acquired powers would fade just as the victim would recover their abilities. Earth Man didn't require the gifts to survive but he didn't relinquish them until he wanted to.

Earth Man reached out with his ability to drain Superwoman of her solar derived gifts. Only to find nothing there, "That…that's impossible!"

"Problem?" Superwoman looked insufferably pleased with herself.

Earth Man rushed and gripped her arms, "There's nothing in you. What kind of Kryptonian are you?"

"The newest kind," Superwoman knocked him out with a head butt.

* * *

No one knew the real name of the man called Echo. Like Terri Eckhart of the JLI, he could repulse any matter, energy, or projectile and send it straight back to its source. Unlike Terri, Echo was the only one bearing the name in the 31st Century. So Cyclotron burned out his control suit almost immediately. The shredded remains revealed a visible skeleton surround by a membrane of barely visible flesh. Cyclotron attempted to physically strike out at Echo but his own blows were reflected back at him.

* * *

Meta Ulnoor also hailed from Titan. Unlike Eve Aries, Esper Lass had challenged Imra Ardeen to be the sole telepath of the LSH. Saturn Girl had readily accepted the challenge. On that same day other challenges were made and lost beside Esper Lass'. Chameleon Chief, Magno Lad, Micro Lad, and Calorie Queen had faced their Legion counterparts and been beaten. Every one of them, except Calorie Queen, had eventually joined the LSV. Calorie Queen had actually been invited to reapply after Matter Eater Lad was called away from the LSH. But when he left to become a senator on their home planet, Calorie Queen reenvisioned her goals and became the power behind his office.

So when Esper Lass came against Praxis, she was already overconfident to begin with. As their minds waged war, Praxis unleashed his other talents besides telepathy. He struck at Esper Lass with telekinesis and pyrokinesis and she was helpless before the assault.

* * *

Klint Stewirt had taken on the moniker of Golden Boy for a specific reason. And as he transmuted Murmur's flesh to gold, it became obvious. Blacksmith chuckled.

"Finally, a competitor," she said with relish.

They locked hands and Blacksmith turned Golden Boy into steel just as he turned her into gold. And they were motionless and locked in each others' embrace. Possibly for forever.

* * *

Markx Grimbor operated under the alias Grimbor the Chainsman. He utilized specially crafted chains to subdue or kill enemies. Unaware of what to expect in the past, his shoulders were draped with varying kinds of chains and his waist was wrapped with others.

Blue Jay and Silver Sorceress hardly appeared to be threats. As Blue Jay took flight, Grimbor snared him with a chain link net. Blue Jay shrank to the size of a bird to escape the net. Only he found the net shrank with him.

Grimbor tried snaring Silver Sorceress with a couple of different average threat level chains. But she evaporated one and displaced the other into the ocean. So Grimbor used a chain he never thought he'd get an opportunity to. It was forged with the intent of capturing Mordru with it. As he wrapped it around Silver Sorceress she found no spells or enchantments whatsoever were of any use.

* * *

Adam Orion's father had earned the honorific title "Hunter" before him. But after his father died on a hunt, Adam had brought down the beasts that killed him. Then he traveled the universe conquering the animal world. Returning to the United Planets with his reputation secured, he took on the Hunter mantle.

Bored, Hunter decided to hunt sentient beings. First as a bounty killer then as a hired assassin. The LSV had approached him and offered him an opportunity to hunt the members of the Legion of Superheroes. Hunter would have done it for free.

Now, he was back in time wondering where was Superman, or Batman, or the Martian, or the Thanagarian, or the Speedster, or the Green Lantern, or even the Amazon Princess? Where were the challenges? All that stood before him were pale imitations of Batman.

He saw changes in the way the dirt swirled on the concrete that alerted him to the fact Gypsy was invisible. Batwing took it upon himself to charge into Hunter. Black Bat joined him.

Hunter knocked Batwing loose and concentrated on Black Bat. And her so-called "pale imitation" made Hunter fight for his life. But then Black Bat slacked off and Hunter grew enraged. Batwing rejoined the fight but he was a lesser priority to Hunter's scalp hunting paradigm. He never saw Gypsy behind him with one of Batwing's batons. She staggered him with repeated blows to the head before Batwing and Black Bat joined in to snare Hunter and immobilize him.

"So who do we go help?" Gypsy asked.

* * *

Chey-Nu had come from a solar system where exploitation had killed all life in it. The UP cried "foul" before purchasing all of the resources obtained from the now dead, formerly populated words. As Lazon, he'd joined with other survivors to form the League of Super Assassins. But after one of their own, named Blok, defected to the LSH, the others had fallen in with the LSV.

Hawkman and Shayera Hol found themselves battling Lazon. Lazon could shift himself into an energy form and move close to the speed of light. He also could cut or burn through most anything. As the pair of JLers were finding out.

Lazon decided to have some sport with his terrestrially limited foes. He'd kill them with one burn or cut at a time.

"Here," Hawkman thrust his spear at Shayera.

"I don't…ow!" she protested.

"Just take it," Hawkman grated as Lazon burned him next, "You need to start carrying a variety of weapons now that everyone is on to you and that mace."

"This mace works a helluva lot better than any spear…ow!" Shayera yelped and held out her hand, "Give me the damn spear."

"Just anticipate where he's headed and get there first," Hawkman suggested.

"Yes, mother," Shayera resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

Shayera was the first to score a direct hit despite Hawkman's attempts with his sword. The Nth metal spear point penetrated Lazon's energy form. He reverted to flesh and blood and fell to the courtyard below.

"Got him," Shayera whooped.

"Glad to hear it. Let's see if you killed him," Hawkman suggested.

They inspected Lazon's wound and Hawkman grunted, "He'll live. Unless we change that."

"I'm not killing a helpless enemy, Carter," Shayera warned him.

"Then you guard him," Hawkman flew off.

"Screw that," Shayera flew in the opposite direction.

* * *

Like Rokk Krinn, known throughout the 31st Century universe as Cosmic Boy, Kort Grezz was from Braal and possessed every inhabitant's magnetic powers. Unlike Cosmic Boy, Magno Lad was a magno ball champion. For the 21st Century mind, imagine a playing field like a tennis court with the goal to be to sail large ball bearings into the wall beyond your opponent.

So when Cosmic Boy had beaten Magno Lad for the right to remain in the LSH, Magno Lad had just shifted his ambitions and joined the LSV. And he couldn't believe anyone would be foolish enough to pit Girder and against him. Didn't these primitives know who he was?

"You're making this far too easy," Magno Lad took control of Girder's iron body and threatened Magenta with it.

She reacted with her own magnetic powers and pitched Girder towards Magno Lad. He couldn't believe anyone on Earth in this century could be from Braal. It was just being colonized after Valor liberated the settlers.

He spun Girder back at Magenta. Magenta resisted with everything she had. Girder got sick of it all and tried to make his way back towards Magno Lad.

* * *

"It's really the Legion of Super Villains," Sun Girl was close to hyperventilating, "It's really them."

"Easy, if we can't beat them we join them," Inertia promised.

"Are you completely stupid?' Sun Girl demanded to know, "I know you just came back in time to prove yourself to Eobard Thawne but I did it to escape my brother's hypocrisy by joining the LSH and to escape Dr. Regulus. That's Regulus just on the other side of this courtyard. So I'm not joining anyone. I'm never going back home. Never!"

"I thought this whole Injusticer thing was just for fun," Inertia complained.

"For you maybe. But I finally found something I want to do. Something I believe in. I'm going to help Nyssa restore the League of Shadows to what it's supposed to be," Sun Girl vowed.

"God, I hate you sometimes," Inertia grumbled.

"I know," she flashed him her most appreciative smile.

Inertia suddenly collapsed and began vomiting before passing out. Sun Girl looked around, "Infectious Lass?"

Micro Lad grew to challenge Sun Girl, "You look familiar."

"Everyone says that," Sun Girl hesitated.

He shrank out of sight and then she felt overwhelming dizziness begin. Using solar energy, she superheated the air around her body and in her ear canal. Micro Lad leapt out and grew again, "Neat trick. But I'm willing you can't adjust your internal temperature like that."

As he vanished again, Sun Girl erected walls of solar plasma. She knew Micro Lad was from Imsk, just like Shrinking Violet from the LSH. Everyone on that planet had this ability to shrink down.

Lalo Muldron was a vicious bastard and wouldn't hesitate to enter her blood stream to reach her brain and cause a life threatening stroke. So she concentrated on making the air around her so hot as to incinerate a microscopic organism.

* * *

"Why is that guy looking at us like we're the lunch special?" Windfall asked Enigma.

"I don't know but it can't be good," Enigma commented.

"I never wanted powers. I just wanted to stay home," Windfall lamented.

"And I would have killed to get powers in order to escape from home," Enigma confessed, "Now I think I'm happy just where I am."

"Do you know who this guy is and what he can do?" Windfall wondered.

"Not a clue," Enigma admitted.

Yer Sti-Tuan wasn't even human. He was from the same solar system as Lazon. As he converted into a misty gas, Enigma smiled.

"This guy was born to set you up," she told Windfall.

"How do I…?" Windfall asked.

"Just generate a good stiff breeze and blow him across the landscape," Enigma instructed.

Mist Master reverted to flesh to escape dispersal. Enigma shocked him unconscious with her staff, "I'd say that was an excellent first time out."

"It actually wasn't that bad," Windfall realized.

* * *

"So who's the sacrificial lamb today?" Hart Druiter inquired.

As Nemesis Kid he could adapt to defeat any single opponent. And Nightwing was just one man.

"I really don't think that concerns you," Nightwing replied.

"I prefer knowing the name of my victims so I can memorialize my killing them," Nemesis Kid boasted.

"I don't hear you volunteering anything," Nightwing retorted.

"Who in this century would even recognize my name if I said it?" Nemesis Kid had to wonder.

Nightwing knew Supergirl would but she was currently MIA with White Lantern. Apparently she was even a Red Lantern now the same as Guy Gardner had recently been, "Point taken."

"I'll even give you the first shot and you can see if you can land it. Afterwards you can deduce what my particular gift is," Nemesis Kid offered.

Nightwing tried but Nemesis Kid adapted midattack and blocked the effort, "Good try. You're not unlike my arch nemesis, Karate Kid."

"Like the movies?" Nightwing was disappointed.

"No, like the member of the Legion of Superheroes," Nemesis Kid grated.

"Sorry. Didn't even know there was one," Nightwing flippantly remarked.

"It's been nice knowing you," Nemesis Kid warned him. Then he attacked in earnest. Nightwing thought it was like fighting Batman. He knew Nightwing's every move and had a counter for it. But Nightwing refused to give up.

* * *

Wi Kan Muur was also a former member of the League of Super Assassins. Now he was simply known as Neutrax. His legs were paralyzed so he relied upon an antigrav hover chair to be mobile. And he'd perfected the use of his paralyzing eye beams.

Darknight, Azrael, and Sister Lilhy were all taken by surprise by Neutrax's power. Ri found him incredibly agile with his chair but she was able to stay ahead of him. But he was fast enough to deter every attack she made. While Ri distracted Neutrax, the Legionnaire had no idea Azrael was breaking free of the eye beam's hold just out of sheer force of will.

* * *

Ol-Vir had added the hyphen to his Daxamite name in honor of Daxam's glorious past as a Kryptonian colony. He worshipped Darkseid as part of a cult that had endured on Daxam for a thousand years. It had never had more than a dozen adherents at any time. But none had been as faithful and devout as Ol-Vir.

Darkseid himself had summoned Ol-Vir to leave his home world. Coming under a yellow sun brought great rewards but the prolifery of lead brought lethal hazards as well. Unable to procure anti-lead poisoning serums through traditional means, the LSV had to resort to theft and robbery to acquire short acting serums meant for travelers. Ol-Vir's resistance to these temporary cures was increasing necessitating a growing frequency of thefts. Something the LSV was having second thoughts on.

Power Girl found herself on even footing for the first time on Earth Prime since the Daxamite invasion. She quickly deduced Ol-Vir had fewer fighting skills than Superman. She rather enjoyed unloading on him and breaking multiple bones.

Ol-Vir resorted to using his heat vision to ward her off. Instead, Power Girl got behind him and took hold of his head and planted it in the concrete beneath their feet. As it melted, Power Girl sank his face further in. The concrete was molten and the ground beneath it was liquefying.

As Power Girl had guessed, Ol-Vir didn't have enough sense to take a deep breath while she drove his face into the ground. He passed out in the shortest time Power Girl had ever witnessed from either a Kryptonian or a Daxamite.

She yanked his head out of the ground where the concrete was cooling around his face and up his nose. She broke it all free at the sacrifice of breaking his nose in the process. Power Girl just dropped him like a useless weight at that point and decided to start ending this futile contest.

* * *

Most of the LSV mocked Roy Travich for his simplistic code name. "Radiation Roy" wasn't sexy enough for them. But his name was Roy and he projected beams of paralyzing radiation that his teammates frequently relied upon. Of course neither Vigilante nor Vixen had a clue.

Radiation Roy smirked at them, "Take your best shot if you can manage it."

"Boy howdy, pardner. Ya'll are askin' for it," Vig warned.

"Not really," Radiation Roy's smirk just became more insufferable.

Vigilante tried to move in order to draw his pistol and fire but he couldn't. He couldn't even talk. Vixen found herself similarly unable to touch her animal totem and activate its power. And she couldn't verbally check in with Vigilante, whom she assumed by his silence, was also afflicted by the same strange force.

"Now, admit it, aren't I the best villain you've ever fought?" Radiation Roy basked in his self perceived glory.

* * *

Ronn-Karr's ability to flatten himself to paper thinness was invaluable in infiltrations. But in a fight it was next to useless. Which Animal Man and Crimson Fox were delighted to prove to him. Animal Man held Ronn-Karr in place while Crimson Fox's seductive pheromones prompted him to beg to confess to anything she wanted to hear. Animal Man was grateful the pheromones didn't affect him as strongly.

* * *

Ki-Lan had been the one to suggest the survivors unite as the League of Super Assassins. And she'd been the one to sway them into joining the LSV. Silver Slasher had metallic skin and razor sharp fingers. But Katana's SoulTaker was just as sharp and she was just as skilled in its use.

Silver Slasher's advantage was she had five blades per hand. But the SoulTaker drove Katana at a relentless pace that Silver Slasher couldn't compete with. Her humiliating defeat was a total victory for Katana. And deprived of Silver Slasher's soul, the SoulTaker drove Katana to find another conflict where it could possibly feast.

* * *

Sussa Paka had discovered the secret to enchanting her hair as Godiva and Goldilocks had a thousand years earlier. She'd successfully joined the LSH as Spider Girl. But she moonlighted as a thief for hire, using her Legion credentials to get her closer to targets. She barely escaped the LSH and the Science Police to flee into the LSV's embrace.

Now she faced a childhood idol. Of course, Spider Girl had always gravitated more towards Goldilocks but Godiva had been the one to deduce the secret of the ancient Anglo-Saxon enchantment. Little Mermaid stood with Godiva but Spider Girl didn't have a clue as to who she was and really didn't care either.

Spider Girl knew a fight was coming so she decided to make it as quick and painless as possible. Godiva was surprised by Spider Girl's vicious attack. The girl's wide eyed wonder at first seeing her implied it would be otherwise.

With Spider Girl engaged in a life and death struggle with Godiva, Ulla Paske swung in behind Spider Girl and grabbed hold of her to take her out to sea. Spider Girl kept a hair death grip on Godiva as she shifted some of her attention towards Ulla.

Little Mermaid plunged towards the ocean out beyond a pier. Spider Girl grabbed hold of the pier and tried to suspend herself underneath as she dragged herself to it. As Ulla submerged Spider Girl, she dragged Godiva under with her. Spider Girl managed to wrap up Godiva beneath her position.

When Spider Girl finished struggling, Ulla yanked her out of the water and pulled her to shore. Seeing Godiva was missing in action, Ulla dove under again and found Godiva floating lifelessly underneath the pier. Forgetting all about Spider Girl, Ulla pulled Godiva from the water and attempted to resuscitate her. But she couldn't get a response.

So she flew Godiva to a nearby hospital where the Emergency Room doctors continued to work to revive Godiva but they simply surrendered to the obvious. Dorcas Leigh was dead. Stricken by grief, Ulla flew back to the shore only to discover Spider Girl was already gone. Suddenly gripped with fear for Dick Grayson, Ulla went to assist her fiancé with any peril he faced.

* * *

Storm Boy had once been known as Myke Chypurz. But no one ever remembered that name anymore. Storm Boy's name accurately described his power. He could generate any classification of a storm at any desired size and output. So he threw a Category 5 hurricane blended with an electrical storm at Dreadbolt, Persuader, and Disruptor.

Storm Boy recognized the early variant of the Persuader uniform that had drifted down to the 31st Century. So he targeted her especially. Dreadbolt tried to shield Persuader as best he could. Disruptor managed to get around Storm Boy unnoticed and she entered the eye he surrounded himself with. Shaking herself to gather her wits after navigating through the storm, Disruptor grabbed hold of Storm Boy and shorted out his powers. As the storm dissipated, she used her gauntlets to beat him senseless.

"Easy, Angelica. We don't need to kill him," Dreadbolt cautioned her.

"But it would be fun to do it," Disruptor argued.

"Let's save it for someone who actually needs it," Dreadbolt countered.

"Hey, just point me towards someone I can chop up and I'm golden," Persuader offered.

* * *

Nigel Douglas had become Sun Emperor and never looked back. He indulged in a hedonistic lifestyle Sun Boy had supposedly abandoned but Sun Emperor knew the truth about Sun Boy's debauchery and how his father paid off the women he beat and raped. No evidence had ever surfaced before the Legion of Superheroes but rumors and stories existed and there were far too many of them for there to be no basis in fact.

Sun Emperor openly engaged in a sordid lifestyle. Wanton drug abuse, sex, and murder sprees made up his average day. Sun Emperor had beaten Sun Boy at both his sexual conquest game and his solar power ability accomplishments.

But Sun Emperor had never faced Captain Atom. Captain Atom simply absorbed all of the solar radiation hurled at him and ignored the solar plasma that accompanied it. Using quantum energy bursts, Captain Atom knocked Sun Emperor out with hardly a struggle. Something Sun Emperor would always deny from that day on.

After his loss to Bette Kane and Matron, Captain Atom felt justifiably vindicated.

* * *

No one in the United Planets knew where Terrus came from or why he dressed like a scarecrow. But they all knew he had earth moving powers identical to Geo-Mancer's. So he literally moved the earth at Knockout as she charged through every obstacle he could summon. Terrus wondered just who she was because she was unstoppable.

Then Scandal Savage attacked Terrus from his side. Her Lamentation Blades carved their way through his abdomen and rib cage. Coughing up blood, Terrus surrendered. Scandal held him in place until Knockout reached him. She broke his jaw just to relieve the tedium.

"Think he'll live?" Knockout asked Scandal.

"I could really care less," Scandal admitted, "But from the look of developments, we could be useful elsewhere."

"Good," Knockout huffed, "Because this fight was over way too damn soon."

"Patience, Kay. Not everyone is worthy of a Female Fury's attention," Scandal advised.

"No, but you are," Knockout winked and jogged off.

Scandal was left wondering if violence made her father horny too.

* * *

Tyr's cybernetic gun arm opened fire at Black Canary, Speedy, Huntress, and the Question. The JLers split up to widen the target area. Tyr began to focus on immediate threats. While Speedy bracketed him with explosive arrows, Huntress fired a quarrel down his gun barrel. His next shot blew his entire arm off. Black Canary enjoyed finishing that fight.

"I believe we should investigate that mysterious craft which brought our enigmatic playmates to us," Question suggested.

"It looks like Booster and his sister are guarding it," Huntress observed.

"So we just go through them," Speedy insisted.

Black Canary gave her a warm smile to indicate how proud she was of Mia Deardon at that moment.

* * *

Titania had been the final member of the League of Super Assassins. She was also the only human among them. Descended from Amazon stock after the sisterhood had abandoned Earth for the stars, Titania had been reared on Amazon folklore. She recognized the armor of Hera as well as Artemis. She knew Artemis would continue as Wonder Woman for the next two hundred years before handing the mantle down to one final champion. Artemis and a core group of Amazons still survived in seclusion in the 31st Century.

Titania coerced Artemis into casting aside her bow, sword, shield, and lasso. And then they fought one another as Amazons traditionally had for centuries. Artemis was surprised to face a foe schooled in Amazonian battle techniques but that just spurred her on to deal more harshly with a supposed traitor.

* * *

Horace Lafeaugh was commonly referred to as Tusker. Besides bearing his namesake tusks, he grew them in his arms and could eject them from his skin to be used as throwing weapons or hand held knives. So he was busily trying to impale Steve Trevor, Starling, and Bat-Girl. The same healing factor that cured the wounds made by the tusks piercing his skin and growing them so fast made him next to invulnerable to bullets. But the three humans still fought him to a standstill.

* * *

"What the hell are ya, a colon floatin' in a bowl?" Guy Gardner guffawed at Zymyr.

Zymyr create a spatial rift which sucked Guy into another parallel universe. Vibe witnessed the frequency and memorized it. Zymyr tried to do the same to Vibe but the Latino youth sealed every rupture shut. Then his vibration powers cracked Zymyr's environment sphere and he retreated back to his home dimension. This left Vibe trying to figure out how to retrieve Guy…if he even should.

* * *

Lightning Lord hurled all forms of electricity at a flying Batman. Batman would adhere to a wall long enough to attract Lightning Lord's attention and then he would shoot off again before the lightning caught him being grounded.

* * *

Barda had rejoined the JLU and was dismayed to find Superman was still under Saturn Queen's thrall. Everyone had noticed Barda seemed more concerned about Superman than ever before. But Superman had dealt with Lois Lane's death and Diana's departure. He knew loss and grief and frankly, Barda didn't know how to cope with either of them. She wanted advice on how to do so and she was willing to offer him any support he needed in exchange.

Cosmic King kept turning elements in her blood to poison. Which slowed Barda but didn't kill her. When he turned her mega wand into gas particles that was her tipping point. Barda was prepared to kill him now.

* * *

Nyssa Raatko proved capable of launching attacks faster than Saturn Queen could read her mind. Especially with a bow. So Saturn Queen tried to penetrate Nyssa's mind and found it boxed in and defended by an iron will. Saturn Queen could eventually break in but it would cost her time and effort. And Nyssa would undoubtedly skewer her with a dozen arrows in the interim.

* * *

Inside the United Nations, a mixed JLer and Injusticer force had found the hostages assembled in the general assembly chamber guarded by just the Super Friends. Aresia and the Wrath attacked Apache Chief while David Cain organized the general assault on all three Super Friends and General Glory rallied the hostage rescue. The Shining Knight and Goldilocks were among the captives and they helped lead the processions out of the emergency exits. General Glory stood poised at one exit to intervene should the Super Friends overcome his allies.

Black Vulcan stunned Syonide before she could ever unfurl her whip. Dark Archer kept his distance as he fired arrows at Black Vulcan. White Canary closed ranks and tried to engage him in close quarters. Black Vulcan simply jolted her into unconsciousness. This unraveled Dark Archer and Black Vulcan was able to take him down as well.

Flash returned from leading hostages to freedom and Wally West pounded away at Black Vulcan until he'd pummeled the man until he was out cold. Then Flash spotted that Apache Chief was getting the better of Aresia and Wrath. Flash remembered Aresia all too well and knew about her temper first hand. The Batman wannabe was a mystery to him but only Apache Chief's hardened density was keeping him alive against these two. And Cain seemed disinterested in intervening on Apache Chief's behalf.

So Flash streaked in and raced around Apache Chief until he'd created a vortex around him. Even in his various states of variable density, Apache Chief always needed to breathe. So Flash just sucked all the available oxygen away from him. Apache Chief passed out and Flash skidded to a halt.

"Showboater," Wrath snarled.

"This kill was ours!" Aresia angrily declared.

"Whoa! No one's killing anyone else," Flash declared.

"And he's right, for now," Cain stepped in at long last.

Wrath and Aresia sullenly stood down. Cain pointed out the unraveling scene across the hall as Major Disaster and Big Sir covered a third exit. Samurai had struck down White Lightning before she could speak. Lady Flash was now employing the Flash's own tactic against Samurai. The Japanese hero fell to her method.

"Who is she again?" Flash asked Cain.

"Keep it in your shorts, boy," Cain advised him.

No one knew two things at that point. One was about the structural damage the Burners had inflicted upon the building. The entire complex was beginning to buckle and would collapse within minutes. Second was that Poison Ivy had deployed her hybrid puff balls. At her command, they burst and filled the entire sprawling complex with anesthetic pollen. Anyone and everyone who inhaled the pollen swiftly fell asleep. As Ivy strolled into the general assembly hall, she was surprised to find General Glory was immune to her creations.

"I take it this is your work," General Glory assessed.

"What gave me away?" Ivy smirked.

* * *

The recently liberated JLU members arrived with Kalea. And the victorious JLers and Injusticers rallied to help those in need of assistance. So the end game with the LSV drew near.

Windfall blew out all of Beauty Blaze's fires and kept the winds too strong to ignite new ones. With her body metabolizing the heat and finding no new sources to absorb, Killer Frost's skin chilled blue again. And her powers returned so she froze Beauty Blaze in place.

"Thanks kid," Killer Frost offered Windfall, "This usually doesn't happen to me."

"Me either," Windfall admitted, "But I suppose it's going to from now on."

"Have you seen Godiva?" Killer Frost asked.

"Who?" Windfall was at a loss.

"Never mind," Killer Frost grimaced. Last time she'd seen Dorcas, Godiva had been in the company of the unfortunately named Little Mermaid. If she couldn't find Dorcas, she'd find the fish stick.

* * *

Reactron had been beaten senseless. So Knockout joined the fray with a smile. Black Mace quickly learned her strength easily matched his own. And her combat skills were superior to his. But he had a weapon and she lacked one.

It was until Knockout yanked his mace out of his hands and snapped the handle off that Black Mace realized he might be overmatched. As he stood staring at her she bounced the mace ball off of his head like she'd thrown a baseball. He was rendered unconscious.

"Now what?" Knockout grumped.

* * *

After a seemingly endless series of shape changes, Plastic Man had gauged the limit of Chameleon Chief's repertoire. When the Chameleon Chief predictably shrank to a smaller creature, Plas enveloped him in a sphere. Despite his struggles and continuing shape morphing, Chameleon Chief found himself trapped and Plastic Man was immune to everything he could become.

* * *

John was frustrated as Dr. Regulus evaporated every single construct the Green Lantern sent at him. Trajectory hadn't found a means of effectively attacking Dr. Regulus without enduring great physical pain. So, it was into this situation Superwoman interposed herself into.

"Stupid Kryptonian," Dr. Regulus chuckled as he bathed her in red solar rays.

Superwoman plucked his helmet off and crushed it. He lost mental control of his armor with the interfaces destroyed, "H…how?"

"Good night," her right cross broke his jaw as it knocked him out.

John landed behind Superwoman, "How did you manage that?"

"I'd tell you but then I'd either be ordered to execute you or lock you away for the rest of your life," Superwoman stated before flying away.

"She for real?" Trajectory asked John.

"I think she is," John realized with foreboding.

* * *

Praxis shut Echo's mind down. Behind him, Superwoman scooped up Cyclotron under her arm. Reactron was already underneath the other one.

"You're useful," she commented.

"But not to you," Praxis warned her.

"You're choice," Superwoman shrugged before flying away.

Praxis rarely trusted anyone who could shield their thoughts from him.

* * *

J'onn telepathically triggered Golden Boy and Blacksmith's powers. They each reverted to flesh and bone. Then J'onn forced Golden Boy to restore Murmur to what passed for health with him. Then J'onn simply rendered Golden Boy unconscious. But he stayed with them all to protect Golden Boy from Murmur's murderous wrath.

* * *

Power Girl moved in so fast, Grimbor never saw her coming. Her punch resulted in a sickening _crack_ and Grimbor went down totally unaware of who knocked him out. Then she snapped the chains binding Blue Jay and Silver Sorceress.

The two former Champions of Angor were utterly embarrassed by their former predicament. Power Girl wasn't feeling particularly generous, "Maybe if you'd stayed with a Justice League you wouldn't feel mortified when these things happen. Because they happen to everyone eventually."

She flew off then. Blue Jay watched her go, "Maybe she'd understand our reasons for joining Nyssa."

"I don't think she's quite ready to embrace the path yet," Silver Sorceress replied, "Let her try and save the world her way while we do the real work."

* * *

Girder was being held back by the sheer force of Magno Lad's magnetic power. Magenta was pushing Girder forward at him. Disruptor stepped in and shorted out Magno Lad's mind. Girder stumbled forward and almost trampled Disruptor. So she short circuited his nervous system as well.

"What was that for?" Magenta demanded.

"Clumsy idiot almost walked all over me," Disruptor yelled back.

"We're supposed to be teammates, dumb ass!" Magenta snapped.

Disruptor's gauntlets flared to life with energy, "Come here and say that, bitch."

Magenta wondered if Nyssa realized just how crazy Disruptor was.

* * *

Micro Lad couldn't attack Sun Girl. But the effort of shielding herself from him had to be causing a strain. He could wait her out.

He grew to normal proportions to taunt her, "I'll still kill you, winky-poo. It'll just take a while this way."

Atom spun Micro Lad around and punched him in the jaw. Micro Lad staggered back and rubbed his wounded body part, "You'll die for that."

Micro Lad shrank. To his surprise, Atom did too. This was the age settlers colonized Imsk. No one with their power should still be on Earth.

Micro Lad varied size several times but Atom always matched him and beat the crap out of him while doing so. Finally Atom hit Micro Lad often enough and hard enough to put Micro Lad down for a while.

"Wow!" Sun Girl was in awe, "You're pretty fly for an old man."

Now Ray Palmer suddenly did feel old.

* * *

When Ulla arrived to assist Nightwing, Nemesis Kid's power was broken. He could adapt to defeat a single combatant. With Ulla present, her Atlantean strength and flight capabilities combined with Nightwing's fighting prowess, Nemesis Kid's feeble natural fighting skills were overwhelmed in seconds. One good punch from the Little Mermaid was enough to knock out Nemesis Kid.

Afterwards, a crying Ulla Paske told Dick all about Godiva's death and how she'd lost the killer. Nightwing froze and Ulla turned in horror to see Killer Frost gaping at her with a stunned expression. Then they could see the denial in her eyes.

"No, it isn't true. It can't be!" Killer Frost fled the scene at that point.

"Should we follow her?" Ulla wondered.

"I think she needs to come to grips with this on her own," Nightwing ventured.

Ulla wasn't so certain.

* * *

Neutrax finally paralyzed Ri. But while Darknight and Sister Lilhy remained inert, Azrael was starting to move again. But Persuader arrived to hack Neutrax's antigrav chair apart. And the Atomic Axe cut through his eye beams. But Neutrax suddenly found his torso facing dismemberment by Persuader and his throat in danger of being slit by Azrael.

"Would it help to surrender?" Neutrax asked them.

* * *

Dreadbolt quickly knocked Radiation Roy out with just a few electrical discharges. Vigilante and Vixen began to recover their mobility almost instantly. Vig had to congratulate Dreadbolt.

"Ah gotta say, pard. Ya'll came in just in time," Vigilante said in his homespun way.

"Skip it," Dreadbolt advised him, "You're the one that arrested my dad so he'd be in prison to be recruited to the Suicide Squad. And he died with the squad during the Atlantean invasion. So you're damn lucky I helped you at all."

Dreadbolt stomped doff. Vixen asked Vig, "You know what that was about?"

"Ah gotta idea. He kinda reminds me of the Bolt. Whut he's doin' takin' after the old man is anyone's guess. Ah guess grief kin confuse ya'll up," Vigilante ventured.

* * *

Artemis ended up proving why she was the Champion of the Gods now that Diana had stepped down. After beating Titania senseless, she roped her with the Lasso of Truth. And then she began an eye opening interrogation.

* * *

Scandal attacked Tusker after he'd wounded Trevor and Starling several times. Relieved from pressing the defense against Tucker, Bat-Girl was able to pull out the tusks that had impaled her comrades. Meanwhile Scandal sliced apart Tusker fast than he could properly heal. As Tusker passed out from blood loss, Scandal backed off at seeing Trevor's team all aiming weapons at her.

"So…you didn't actually want my help?" she asked.

"Colonel, tell the nice lady 'thank you'," Bat-Girl suggested, "And then 'goodbye'."

* * *

Katana led the charge as Gypsy, Black Bat, Batwing, Crimson Fox, and Animal Man all entered the general assembly hall. Inside, Ivy and General Glory were dragging unconscious JLers and Injusticers out of the building. The walls were groaning and the JLers quickly got the rest out of there before the entire United Nations complex collapsed to the very foundations, which also cracked from atrophy and stress.

* * *

Superman intercepted Lightning Lord's blast. Batman collected him after the screaming was done, "He's even more powerful than Livewire."

Batman launched them into the air as Lightning Lord discharged again. Superman floated on his own while Batman flew around, "Nice suit."

"I won't be taken alive and I won't return to my own time in failure," Lightning Lord declared.

"Any other delusions you'd like to explore?" Superman asked.

* * *

Barda was finally so sick she could hardly move forward. But she'd crawl if she had to to get at Cosmic King. The Captain Atom's quantum blast knocked Cosmic King silly.

"Try and transmute my energy matrix," Captain Atom taunted him.

* * *

Saturn Queen barely felt Kalea's presence before the Almeracian yanked her off of her feet, "You hired Lobo to kill me and killed everyone around me instead. And you threatened my family and corrupted my father's mind and made him your servant."

"I'll do the same for you," Saturn Queen offered as she tried to hypnotize Kalea. It was like hitting a steel wall, "You've had some training."

"A little," Kalea conceded. She sat Saturn Queen down and tapped her fingers against Eve Aries' forehead. Saturn Queen staggered back.

"Pure psychokinetic energy focused into a single punch. Adequate against most but I'm hardly the average," Saturn Queen replied.

* * *

Black Canary, Speedy, Question, and Huntress easily blew past Booster and Goldstar to enter the _Waverider_. There they found Rip Hunter tied and gagged. Upon his release, he checked his ship's instruments.

"Hold on, it's about to get bumpy," Hunter warned.

* * *

Vibe created a rift that Guy emerged from. He was close to tears of gratitude, "Thanks, kid. I owe ya one fer savin' my ass."

"Oh, really?" Vibe had never considered that.

* * *

Claire Connelly and her LexCorp team arrived to deploy the temporal displacement bomb. Waller had provided the common frequency being utilized by the JLer transceiver earpieces just as they'd included the Injusticers into the fold. The JLers and Injusticers retreated and left the LSV in place. No one paid attention to the fact Saturn Queen was moving beyond the temporal weapon's range as she telepathically struggled with Kalea. Nyssa intervened by dragging Kalea out of the fray as the temporal weapon activated.

Swirling chronal energies whipped into a frenzy as chroniton particles were charged. Saturn Queen finally realized that the LSV was being transported through time without her, "Nooo!"

Saturn Queen's remaining hold on the JLers was broken by her grief. Booster happily reunited with Claire and refused to let go of her even long enough for Goldstar to hug her too. Nyssa nocked her bowstring and Kalea poised to tackle Saturn Queen.

But Eve Aries unleashed a psychic torrent that knocked everyone off of their feet. When they recovered their wits, she was long gone. Nyssa quietly gathered her forces and departed as the final political storm approached.

"It's over," Batman reported to Sue and Waller.

"More than you realize," General Sam Lane made a rare personal appearance.

Superman recognize Lois' father and knew he was nearly a recluse on his secret base. Striding beside him was Major Lucy Lane, USAF, and Lois' sister. The General was suddenly offered support by General Wade Eiling. Everyone had a bad feeling about what was about to happen.

"The President of these United States in cooperation with the Secretary-General of the United Nation has hereby authorized me to take a list of Justice Leaguers into custody," Lane glared at Superman, "Do me a favor and resist."

"I know there's no love lost between us, General," Superman acknowledged.

"You killed my daughter, alien," Lane accused.

"Even Clark Kent was a better choice for Lois than some alien genetic defect," Lucy spat venomously.

"I…" Superman was at a loss for words.

"Go with them," Batman instructed, "Pass the word to everyone that is listed on Lane's manifest to cooperate. The facts will all come out in the end."

"We'll see if they can save the conspirators named in these manifests," Lane warned Batman, "But somehow I don't think even ARGUS will touch them after today."

"I know Amanda Waller will stand by her conscience," Batman replied.

"Now naïve," Lane chuckled, "Waller will do whatever her President asks of her however he asks of it because she's a bureaucrat. She can't afford to have an individual conscience."

Troops moved forwards past the NYPD. Lucy addressed them as he support staff distributed manifests, "Arrest anyone found on this list."

Soldiers quickly surrounded Superman, J'onn Jonzz, the Atom, and Kalea. She looked amused, "Excuse me?"

"You never should have returned to our world without an army backing you up," Lane declared.

Kalea launched into the sky and flew away. Lane snorted derisively, "Bitch has no back bone."

"Alert NORAD," Lucy instructed her communications officer, "This may be a feint."

Lucy stared into Superman's eyes, "I'll enjoy informing the GULAG they're about to receive members of the Justice Leagues Unlimited and International."

He wondered when she'd become so spiteful.


	27. Chapter 27

8

Dawn the next day found the most of the Justice League Unlimited and the Justice League International arrested and detained in the GULAG. General Sam Lane was still infuriated over the mysterious Rip Hunter absconding with Booster Gold, his wife Claire Connelly, and his sister Goldstar away in Hunter's _Waverider_ to an unknown point in history. Lane had his own US Army Meta-Human Response Division on standby should rioting break out inside the GULAG. The general population had usually been put there by the same JLers that were now incarcerated beside the convicts.

"Amanda, this isn't right!" Sue Dibney voiced her opinion with her husband, Ralph, loudly supporting her.

Waller gave Sue and the Elongated Man a dismal look, "We have Presidential orders to stay clear of the legal struggle."

"POTUS isn't unbiased. The JLU attacked him," Col. Steve Trevor reminded her.

"ARGUS and the JLA are ordered to distance themselves from the suspects," Waller did her own reminding, "Other than contribute testimony for both the defense and prosecution, all we can do is report eyewitness testimony to the investigating agencies. The Attorney General has assigned special prosecutors and special defense teams to the case. We have to trust they'll do their jobs to the best of their ability."

"Which you suspect they won't," Sue interjected but Waller refused to comment, "Where the hell is Batman? And why did the Injusticers disappear before the arrests?"

"Saturn Queen was spotted still in our century after Claire's displacement bomb went off," Trevor pointed out, "After she vanished, Booster and Goldstar vanished in that ship and took Claire with them."

"Claire is Booster's wife," Sue said despairingly, "I'm sure she's safe."

"One thing we know for certain is the United Nations won't stand up for the JLI. They disbanded the team and cut everyone loose," Trevor stated, "Then they filed the bulk of the charges."

"The JLI gave the UN a black eye," Waller commented, "I'd do the same if the Justice League of America did the same to the United States."

"You're kidding, right?" Sue was disappointed.

"She wouldn't do it," Trevor promised.

"I can speak for myself, Steve," Waller warned him, "If the JLA became an embarrassment, I'd terminate the program even without a Presidential edict."

"Isn't that reassuring?" Sue sniped.

"Just so we're clear, the JLA will not join in the investigation of Saturn Queen controlling the minds of most of the JLU and JLI," Trevor remarked.

"Our orders stand," Waller declared, "We're to stand aside and look the other way."

* * *

Jaina Hudson and White Rabbit joined Batman and Alfred Pennyworth in the Bat Cave. Jaina was greatly relieved he was still strong and vital, "I'm relieved to see yesterday wasn't too taxing despite you vitals being off the charts several times."

"But I'm surprised we got this invite," White Rabbit admitted.

"We're not done yet," Batman warned her, "I need Slade Wilson's contact information."

"What about Nyssa Raatko instead?" Jaina wondered, "Because I'm guessing you're talking about breaking into the GULAG."

Bruce Wayne had always felt an affinity for Jaina. Now Batman knew why. Where Batman and Bruce shared the same mind and body, Jaina and White Rabbit had a similar arrangement only White Rabbit could manifest as a separate physical being. But it was Jaina's trust fund that bankrolled White Rabbit's endeavors just as Bruce funded Batman.

"Nyssa spoke to me before the Injusticers all left for their hidden retreat. She has personal business in Seattle," Batman announced.

Jaina and White Rabbit exchanged a rueful glance. Batman immediately noted the exchange, "I take it you're aware of the nature of this errand."

"It's a delicate matter," Jaina allowed.

"What I intend is a two-person job. Slade is my preferred partner," Batman declared.

"With all the erratic readings your suit detected yesterday what you need is rest," Jaina asserted.

"I need to speak with Superman," Batman insisted.

"No, _I_ do," Kalea announced from the Bat Cave's entrance tunnel.

Even Batman was startled by her sudden appearance, "I suppose your shuttle is cloaked nearby."

"It's resting at the foot of the sea cliffs close to where your aquatic entrance lies," Kalea told him.

"How did you enter?" he wondered.

"Through the aircraft entrance in the cliff face," Kalea answered, "Now, contact this 'Slade' and have him prepare to accompany me to this GULAG place."

"I could come with you right now," Batman offered.

"She's right, your heart rate is erratic and you're experiencing arrhythmia," Kalea warned him.

Jaina shot him a glare. White Rabbit shrugged, "I suppose all the phone lines are clean and untraceable."

"This way, miss," Alfred offered.

"You intend to break Superman out," Batman realized.

"If he'll join me and return to Almerac with me. If not, then I have already deposited vital information towards his defense in the JLA's computers. But I doubt they've discovered that yet," Kalea confessed.

White Rabbit called out to Kalea, "Slade is willing to meet you. If he selects an address, can you find it?"

"I can find any location in this solar system," Kalea promised.

* * *

Beryl Hutchinson drove Rose Wilson-Worth to the private airfield on his bike. After stopping next to the plane, Beryl and Rose struggled to say their farewells. Rose made the first comment to this effect.

"It seems we're always saying goodbye just as things get interesting," Rose ruefully remarked.

"You could always switch teams. I doubt your father would make a similar offer to me," Beryl stated.

"No, he wouldn't," Rose admitted, "But he might endorse your offer. Let me think about it before asking him. Until then, we'll reunite when we can."

"That could be a long wait," Beryl complained.

"It's one for me too," Rose confessed.

"Any particular reason you won't jump at my offer?" Beryl asked.

"You know what I do and how I do it," Rose grimaced, "Are the Teen Titans ready for that?"

"We put up with Jason Todd as Red Hood," Beryl reminded her, "He's always going League of Assassins on everybody's asses. And he betrayed the Outsiders and had them all killed."

"So I'm a shoo in," Rose smirked, "I just want both sides of this equation to agree on my switch over first."

"I'll ask my people if you ask your father," Beryl promised.

"Now that's an arrangement I can live with," Rose aggressively kissed Beryl. He replied just as forcefully.

She broke the kiss and grinned, "Sure you don't want to join the mile high club?"

"Later," he replied.

"I may not offer again," Rose warned him.

"I'll take my chances," Beryl replied.

She boarded the plane and hesitated to gingerly wave back at him before entering the plane. He watched it queue up and then take off. Then he donned his helmet and rode his bike back to the Titan's Compound. Life had become very interesting since leaving the Knight and coming to America.

* * *

Superman's cell opened to reveal Kal-El sitting under a red sun lamp reading, "Kalea!"

"I'll create a diversion to buy you the time you need," Deathstroke offered her, "But I'm going to the extraction point in five minutes."

"And I'll be there to fly us out of here," Kalea promised.

"Do you trust him?" Superman asked her.

"It's my shuttle so he can't even board it without my permission," Kalea shrugged, "This is about you."

"You want me to leave with you," he realized.

"You have seven billion witnesses who saw you do criminal acts and only the word of a select few to try and present the facts as they really are. After I drop Slade Wilson off, I'm leaving this solar system and returning to Almerac. Come with me."

"But I'm innocent," Superman protested.

"And as stubborn as you are thick headed," Kalea complained.

"I thank you for coming and for everything else, but I have to prove I didn't willingly do any of it," Superman decided.

"I hope you enjoy this cell then," Kalea said despondently, "Because they will lock you inside of it until you die."

She closed the door and it automatically locked. Then she herded Deathstroke into her shuttle. After dropping him off in Boston, she left Earth and set course for Almerac's frontier.

* * *

Dinah Drake Lance was exercising inside the Queen estate that Mia Deardon had fully inherited yesterday on her eighteenth birthday. Mia, as the major stockholder in Queen Consolidated, was boring herself silly at a board meeting. Dinah didn't envy her. Their lives as Black Canary and Speedy were a nonstop adrenaline rush. The few pauses in between seemed so trivial.

Dinah's role as Mia's guardian was over. But Mia wouldn't even consider letting Dinah leave. They were each other's family now. Especially when effigies of Green Arrow were beginning to appear next to crooks killed with arrows. But the tips were heart shaped.

No witnesses had come forward and the police had nothing on file. The Homicide Division of Seattle's Police Department had taken to killing the perp "Cupid". A moniker which had leaked to the newspapers and blogs and now the entire city and the surrounding Puget Sound area was talking about the mysterious Cupid and his or her connection to Green Arrow.

While Dinah beat up training posts, a butler arrived to tell her she had company. Toweling off the sweat as best she could she was escorted to the drawing room. To her everlasting surprise, Nyssa Raatko waited for her in civilian clothes. Dinah had never seen Nyssa dress down. She had to admit Ra's al Ghul's daughter was a beauty.

Pens and paper were discreetly located in every room for Dinah's use. She had just started learning sign language but she rarely had time for lessons in between JLA missions. She succinctly asked Nyssa what she was doing at the estate with a note.

"It's simple, Dinah," Nyssa wore a glowing smile, "How would you like to be able to speak again? You'd even recover your Canary Cry."

Dinah wrote another note asking what it would cost her. Nyssa shook her head, "You misunderstand. This gift comes without a price. I just can't stand the idea of you being hurt in any way."

Dinah gave her a questioning raise of an eyebrow. Nyssa looked embarrassed, "I'm just a fan. An admirer really. I just want to help you in your hour of need. Will you let me?"

Dinah's next note simply asked Nyssa to tell her more. So Ra's al Ghul's _other_ daughter proceeded to do so.

* * *

The Crime Syndicate was alarmed when Brother Eye detected Saturn Queen entering their hidden location. Her plea was simple, "I can help you in your planned conquest of this Earth. I can also assist you in taking over your native Earth-3. All I ask in return is access to temporal technology as it comes available. I just want to go home."

"How would you suggest we begin?" Owlman asked on the Crime Syndicate's behalf.

"Deal with Luthor first. Get close to him and ultimately betray him. Set Grodd on the Legion's throne and he will assist you in your own ambitions to retake control of Earth-3. Once that is accomplished, you can collaborate to conquer any Earth from there. I recommend Earth-2 as a starting ground because their planet has been devastated."

"Alfred will maintain his post as the Other. With the aid of Brother Eye, you and Alfred will compose a new Secret Society of Super Villains to ostensibly rival the Legion of Doom. But in truth they will all be programmed to serve us and they will act as cannon fodder while we parlay our position within the Legion and eliminate Luthor. Killing any Luthor from any Earth is always a pleasure," Owlman decided to cheers from the other Crime Syndicate members.

"And you'll earn Luthor's trust by delivering a Justice League to him," Saturn Queen predicted.

* * *

The next day, the JLU and JLI suspects were arraigned before a US Superior Court. They were remanded to the custody of the World Court who'd assumed jurisdiction. Returned to the GULAG, they learned the Hague intended to charge them all universally with dozens of counts of crimes against humanity, terrorism, property destruction, and kidnapping.

* * *

Selina Kyle opened her door, "Why, Col. Trevor. You're precisely on time."

"Hello Selina, I'm sorry I couldn't meet with you when your team returned to the States," Trevor apologized.

"You've been understandably busy," she ruefully conceded, "But why do I think this isn't a social call?"

"Because you're right," Trevor regretted to inform her, "I need you to look into some matters."

"Wouldn't the Question and Ralph be better choices?" Selina wondered.

"They're too visible," Trevor told her, "Whereas you and Kitrina aren't even officially members of the JLA."

"You want us to find out what the prosecution is holding on the JLU and the JLI," Selina guessed, "Because the JLA is forbidden from investigating events themselves."

"I also need you to deliver evidence Kalea left for us to the defense," Trevor told her, "As well as determine whether or not the defense has agreed to take a dive."

"I'll agree in exchange for a little information," Selina countered.

"Selina," Trevor growled.

"It's a simple question," Selina promised.

"Shoot," Trevor conceded.

"Why did Rocki Ballantine agree to become Batwoman again when Kathy Duquesne is already in uniform an don the team?" Selina succinctly asked.

Trevor groaned and then shared the truth.

* * *

"Red!" Harleen Quinzel leapt out of her apartment door to embrace Poison Ivy.

"It's okay, Harl. I told you if it was safe I'd join you," Ivy reminded her.

"Ya mean Bats is dead?" Harley Quinn asked.

"No, but he always knew you were alive. And he didn't care," Ivy promised her, "So I'm here so we can finally be together."

"Yay!" Harley cheered but Ivy could see a hint of reticence in her eyes. The same reticence that had positioned the Joker in their relationship. So Ivy took it to mean Harley was involved with a new man. But Ivy didn't care anymore. She was used to sharing. And it meant she could finally just settle down with the woman she loved.

* * *

 **Much delayed after thought: Thanks again go to the readers that enjoyed this effort. And thanks also go to those that just tried it out. Extra kudos go to you if you read the entire work rather than just Chapters 1 & 27\. **

**I've developed a loyal base over the years and extra thanks go out to those multiyear readers. My first work on FanFic was the first installment in this series. It answered a very simple question that I had: could I write in the DCAU/DCU realm? After I modest but positive answer I then developed that "plan" that incorporates 32 installments to this larger overarching story with plans for smaller scaled inserts between the series Parts 1-32. And even beyond as in Batman Beyond JLU.**

 **Over the course of the years, I began this in 2010, I had another question. Could I sell some of my work? I took an 18 month break in the development of Part 17 and sold 46 short stories and novellas. Having answered that question and now earning a monthly income from royalties, I returned to finish this series.**

 **Throughout the series beginning with Part 7, my beta reader, ShiyaHawk, has proofread each individual chapter and she frequently gives me a "first read" response which indicates how many people may react to each chapter. Other than clean up messy grammar, we don't collaborate. One poor benighted soul who had a vendetta against her own writing attacked me just because she was my beta and I greatly appreciate the efforts she puts forth on my behalf. She doesn't get paid for it. It's strictly voluntary. So, if you ever get a wild hair, write her a thank you PM.**

 **I've already written two chapters of Part 21 and am working on a third. So the series continues!**


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